The Exchange of Love, Pt. 1

These next several blogs will be a continuous train of thought separated by days but not flow, like pieces of a puzzle given one at a time that will produce a clear picture by the end. My hope and prayer is that these stir you to greater love...

Someone asked me the other day, "Have you ever noticed that a lot of worship songs are about us?" And I have on many occasions noticed this. You don't have to look very far in worship songs to find a whole bunch of "I's, We's, and Me's" laced throughout. And honestly, until recently, I used to think that singing too many of those songs was like our worship bouncing of the ceiling and headed right back our direction.

But I don't think of it that way anymore.

In my observation, much of the Church as a whole has offered one-sided love to the Lord and doesn't expect Him to return our love. It's like you going out on a date, doing all the talking without allowing for a response, and leaving that night feeling frustrated because you showed all of this love, all of this pursuit, and yet feel unloved. But you feel unloved because you don't allow for that person to tell you how they feel. It was all about your effort. No one could last in that kind of function.

Here is the thing many of us miss: we love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). That means that our capacity to love God is directly linked to our revelation of God's love for us. The more we recognize God's love being poured out on us, the more we pour out in return to Him; a beautiful cycle of love that grows in intensity and capacity with every rotation.

"He is jealous for me..."

These words get me thinking and meditating on His love. I open up my heart to His mad love that He pours out, and it ignites the fire of love the propels me to respond. If I don't hear continuously that He loves me, I will believe another voice, because my heart and mind must believe something even if it is a lie -- and so does yours…