A couple weeks ago I was spending time with God and I began to think about the end of our life. I was thinking about my brother and sister who had gone to be with the Lord and I thought about my Dad. I thought about what must have been on their mind in their last days.
I began to think about what I would be thinking in my last days and one phrase came to mind. I have not been able to get that phrase out of my mind for the past couple weeks. The question/ phrase was; have you loved well?
I have used that question as a guide for a couple of weeks. I think about it when I am with my daughter, Breanne, am I loving her well enough? When I am gone will she have all she needs to thrive in this world? I think about Bryson and Brailee and hope I am loving them well.
I do know that Breanne, Bryson and Brailee know I love them, no one could ever convince them any different. However, I want to love them well….in God’s eyes. I want to be kind and gentle to them regardless of what kind of day I am having. I want to always believe the best in them, even when it appears they least deserve it. I want to love them well.
Beyond that, I want to love the rest of my family well, and friends God has brought across my path. We need to treat people kindly and with love and respect, not with judgement or rudeness or criticism.
1 Corinthians 13 says; Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong). It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything (without weakening). Love never fails (never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end).
If you measure how you love others by this scripture, you will love well.
I have shared it before, but I will say it again, my Dad died with many regrets. It was so sad. His biggest regret I think was that he didn’t love us well. He missed out on so much because he was busy with his own life and we weren’t a part of that, at the end the only thing on his face was regrets. The only thing in his voice was regret, but it was too late. I don’t want that to happen to me. Therefore, I endeavor to love well.
One thing I learned from Breanne, when she became a certified counselor in marriage and relationships, was that different people receive love differently, and you have to find their ‘love language’ and love them accordingly. Lately, I find myself praying ‘God show me how that person needs to be loved.’ ‘God, show me how to love Breanne in a way that speaks to her and ministers to her.’ I will continue to do this until I know I am loving the best I can. God’s love in me shining through, in a way they can receive not a way I think it has to be done. That’s love.
I know this is a sappy teaching today but remember, GOD IS LOVE. LOVE covers a multitude of sins. Love never fails. Faith works by love. For God so….LOVED the world…that He gave. Love is the center of it all, that being said, we all need to love well, don’t you think?
