It’s that time of year again when pink and red start to
flood every store. Valentine’s Day candy, cards, gifts, and galore deck the
shelf's with reminders to express your love to one another.
I start to think about my own husband and our early years.
We met in college and one smile from across the quad could take my breath away.
I thought about him often, doodled love notes in class, and dreamed of our life
together. It was a fun and beautiful season of life together. I wouldn’t
exchange it for anything. However, I wouldn’t want to stay in that season
forever. As you know, the longer you
live together, experience life together, and grow together, centered on Christ,
the deeper your love for each other grows.
2004~~(Eleven Years Later)~~2015
I do, however, see the benefits of looking back and
remembering how you fell in love. Days
when life becomes hectic, crazy, stressful, and overwhelming, it’s nice to think
about and be reminded. To take a few minutes to rekindle love that can often
get pushed aside.
Let’s take this a little deeper.
Revelation 2:4-5 says,
“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at
first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the works
you did at first.”
Sometimes in our walks with Jesus we have our salvation
experience where we first meet Jesus. We fall head over heels in love with him.
We commit to surrender and give our whole lives over to him. We mean well, but
sadly, as soon as life starts charging us, we shrink away and forget our love.
So what can you and I do to rekindle our love for the Lord? First let’s remind ourselves of what God did for us.
Galatians 4:4 says, “God
sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were
under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are
sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!
Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son then an heir
through God.”
We were once slaves to sin and the law. We were in a yoke of
slavery that led to death. But guess what! “For
freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again
to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
“For through the
Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but
only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from
obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:6-7
“For you were called
to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the
flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in
one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14
Amen!
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