Love Starved Orphan Spirit (The Cure)

Series : Relationships / Love Starved An Orphan Spirit (Part 2) THE CURE

 1 John 4:7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

The Lord is the true source of love.

There is no substitute for the Father’s love. The Bible says that God is love—it’s His nature. He not only pours His love into our hearts, but He also lets it flow through us to others so we can have genuinely loving relationships.

Ephesians 1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will —to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

What is true love?

Love is a commitment to the satisfaction, security, and development of the one loved and a commitment to the fulfillment of their needs—whatever they are— always asking what’s best for the other person.

John 13:34-35 English Standard Version (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love is a commitment to another person.

It requires faithfulness and is motivated by a desire to see the loved one become who God wants him to be.

There is a difference in loving and desiring someone.

Affection and desire are often equated with love, but they are not necessarily the same thing. Sometimes what we’re feeling is really a need to be loved, but only God can fill our empty souls with His love.

There’s only one true, genuine love, and it’s born of Almighty God. He is the source, the fountain from which it flows into our lives. As we abide in Him, His love reaches others.

It’s an unselfish, sacrificial giving of oneself. The goal of true love is not to have our needs met, but to seek out ways to meet the needs of the other person.

What is the nature of love?

You’ll find that God’s love is active and it:

• Brings healing.

Genuine love heals the hurts and sorrows of life.

• Builds a sense of self-worth.

Being loved makes us feel valued as God’s creation.

• Produces a feeling of emotional completeness.

When God’s love fills us up, we don’t require things or people to complete us.

• Gives a feeling of security. His love calms our fears and is adequate for whatever we face.
• Helps us to love those who have wronged us. It motivates us to forgive.

• Enables us to be kind toward those who have misunderstood or misjudged us. In Christ, we have the ability to love others no matter what they say or do.
• Empowers us to serve others joyfully. We can share God’s love by serving them.

• Enables us to develop an intimate relationship. When we have intimacy with Christ, we’ll be fulfilled and experience His peace and joy.

• Enables us to reach other people and share God’s love. His passion in us flows to others.

Where do we begin?

This kind of fulfilling love is only found in a personal relationship with Christ. At the moment of salvation, He plants His love in our hearts. Then as we grow, His love within us matures. He overcomes our negative feelings and enables us to love those we might not naturally like. The deposit of God’s love fills the empty places in our hearts.

RESPONSE

What things have you tried as a substitute for God’s genuine love in your life?

• Have you seen the difference between love as a commitment to others compared to that of emotional neediness?
• Can you see the nature of God’s love overflowing in your life today?