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“We love because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19
If I could point to one thing that truly had an impact in my children, it was giving them a foundation of unconditional love. Generous, overwhelming, words of affirmation, an expectation of forgiveness, acts of service, and many more gestures of love is what opened our children's hearts to listen to our messages about God. A heritage of being loved and cherished is profoundly important in the life of any human being.
Focusing on love as the lens through which I looked at every person who came my way gave me the understanding of how Jesus lived His life. Love is the oxygen needed in our hearts to be healthy.
Surrounded by people who care for their needs, commit to cherishing them from birth to death, wrapping them in the bonds of unconditional love is a legacy that will give them strength, hope and vision through the rest of their lives.
Love is giving of ourselves to the benefit and values of others God has placed in our lives. When we love and touch it predisposes our children to remember the caresses and affection of love and will cause them to be more prone to believe in the love of God when they are teens and we tell them God loves them.
When children are deprived of love as an infant, consequences to their health, emotional stability, understanding and perception of God, ability to hold relationships and even intelligence is effected the rest of their lives.
God created all of us with a deep need to be loved, and a capacity to love generously.
Love done well is expressed in the messy details of life.
Loving them as they are, appreciating the personality that God has given them, restoring them to generous love when they have failed, pouring out love even when they were at arm's length, Sometimes many times a day, became the fuel for building a fire in their hearts to want to love God.
God's word shows the way. God is love.
“Greater love has no one than this than a man lay down his life for his friend.” (John 15:13)
The two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others.
“Love one another and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
Has anyone ever loved you too much? Be a vessel of love today.
More on today’s podcast about this and my book, Well Lived.