God IS Love

Hey friends!! Merry Christmas, WE FINALLY MADE IT TO CHRISTMAS!!

During the longest recorded year in human history (kidding, but also… kind of serious), it has been so hard to focus on what really matters. That is why I have been so stinking thankful this year for Christmas time to roll around. This is the time of the year where every person seems to slow down a bit, ease into a schedule where their family members are on the tops of their priority lists, giving is something everyone does and doesn’t second guess their decisions to do so and JESUS is amplified. This Christmas season seemed to fly by in comparison to the rest of the year and I’m not sure if that is because the positivity was so needed that everyone soaked it in or if the business of our schedules just made time go by quicker.

One thing that I have been reminding myself to soak in and cherish a little more this year than in years past is feeling the tangible love that is shared between me and those that I love the most. Remembering the sweet relationships that mean the world and reminding people that above any of the gifts that could have been given, the love they showed was that much sweeter! It totally made me laugh when I opened up my Chronological Bible to December 25 to do devotions and the scripture was FILLED with references of just how much God consists of love.

Actually, John 4:16 states it clearly that “…God IS love,…(emphasis added by me)”. Don’t let that statement be diminished on how important it is with how short, sweet, and to the point it is. That statement right there tells you absolutely everything you need to know about the life that you need to live each and every day. It tells you about what to do with the people you don’t prefer, it tells you how to treat your sibling that seriously is about to drive you crazy and it tells you how to deal with that jealously you feel towards someone else who has something you wish you had.

Are those feelings centered in love? Nope? Throw it out.

I promise, I know how easy I just made something sound when I have no idea how hard the situation you are going through really could be. I know that I don’t do a great job of living that statement out sometimes. There are SO many instances that I can think of where I could have chosen love but instead I chose hate, anger, jealously, bitterness, exhaustion or pain take over and I lashed out. Each and every day, God convicts my heart over how I could have handled something completely different and how if I had, I would be in a lot less of an emotional state and I could have saved someone else from some pain as well. I have also had many drives in my car where I just drive, talk to God (sometimes yell, or cry, or worse- ugly cry) about my circumstances and telling God that my viewpoint is misunderstood and I’m right- it’s just that no one knows it yet!! However, in the end- although I hate admitting it- God always shows me how I could have handled it better than what I did.

I have a great quote that I heard in a sermon from a local KC pastor that says:

“Your right doesn’t change your responsibility.” -Pastor Curt Vigenry

When this was spoken in his sermon, it was like God smacked me right across the face and I realized that although I may be right about a problem, it doesn’t change my responsibility to LOVE that person. It doesn’t change my responsibility to remind them of what Christ-like grace is. It doesn’t change my responsibility to invoke peace through the situation. I wrote that quote down and see it every single day I’m in the office to remind me of what is truly important- love.

I wanted to get this out on Christmas so that I could answer the call on my life for me to share a word God had for this world on this very special day. Today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our sins so that we still had a chance to one day, even with our sinful past, join Him in Heaven and live the rest of eternity exploring and enjoying all of the creation that God has made.

A great way to honor Jesus being born would be to love. Go love every single person you come in contact with for the remainder of this year and throughout 2021. Go show love by extending grace. Go be the person that changes how your tribe of people experiences God.

Below are some really great nuggets of scripture that jumped out at me today and then below that is a practice I do when I am not feeling very loving and I dare you to try it as well!

¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit…¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”

-1 John 4: 11-13, 17-18 NLT

** Here is the challenge I have for you. If you’re ever realizing that your heart isn’t quite in the right place, I dare you to write each of these lines down and then fill your name into it like I have demonstrated below. Then, read it over and over and over again when you need to be reminded. Remind yourself what you are striving for and then, go do your best at achieving it! This comes from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 in the Bible**

⁴ Love is patient, Kellen is patient.

love is kind. Kellen is kind.

It does not envy, Kellen does not envy,

it does not boast, Kellen does not boast,

it is not proud. Kellen is not proud.

⁵ It does not dishonor others, Kellen does not dishonor others,

it is not self-seeking, Kellen is not self seeking,

it is not easily angered, Kellen is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs. Kellen keeps no record of wrongs.

⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Kellen does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth.

⁷ It always protects, Kellen ALWAYS protects,

always trusts, Kellen ALWAYS trusts,

always hopes, Kellen ALWAYS hopes,

always perseveres. Kellen ALWAYS perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. Kellen never fails.

I would love too hear your thoughts on how you can work on showing more love! I hope you have a blessed and happy rest of your 2020 year, Merry Christmas!

~Gracefully Kellen~