LOVE.

 

 

« Make it your goal, pursue love. God’s love. »    

Pursue God.

There is this long lasting search of the heart, that endless feeling of a gap continually needing to be filled, that human desire for meaning and purpose that we all experience at some point in life.

Some call it a « God-shape » hole.

To put it simply, it represents a hole in all humans, that only God can fill.

I’m not particularly a fan of this expression, for the simple reason that it sounds too much like these easy-christian-phrases that we too often throw at people’s face.

But what it conveys, is the point.

It is the idea that life without God is not lived to the full. Indeed, the part that we are meant to let Him play in our lives, is missing.

Where we are meant to thrive, we strife.

We try to fill that void feeling with whatever comes our way, trying to make anything fit in that « God-shape » hole, just to feel a little more whole or happier, a little bit more attractive, meaningful, purposeful…

And so there it goes again, heart is looking to pour love somewhere. It is ready to work as its design intends it to. Receiving and giving. Receiving and giving. Receiving and giving.

But the heart is looking for something more than just things or even people to love or feel loved by. It feels unquenchable, never satisfied, eager for more.

As if some vital informations were written in its cells, as if it was programmed for loving someone further than this human life.

Why are we looking for attention ? Why do we desire to leave a mark of our brief time on earth ? Why do we deeply sense that : there's more, even past death…

Would it be that we were designed and therefore, as a creation, we would have been positioned, enrolled in and called to contribute to a wider plan ?

Then it would mean that the heart has a mission, that maybe it goes further than fulfilling its function as our vital pump. Maybe the reason why the heart wants more is that it is designed for more.

But I’m suddenly thinking : "God can never fit into the heart", I mean, that would totally reduce Him to our human limitations. On the other hand, when you think about the heart function, it makes sense that if God cannot fit into the human heart, it is because it was never meant to contain Him. Instead, God is the source from which the heart can properly function. (It would give something like this : the human hearts pumps life at its source, then pours life. Receives life from God, then gives life.)

So I discovered that love, really is the answer I was looking for.

No matter that it’s been said thousands of times before or that it sounds too simple.

I needed to make this realization, myself.

God, the Creator would have want me to love Him from the start.

He would have designed my heart in such a way that every single cells of my being depend on Him and feel depraved of life without Him.

So, I asked myself, how do I get to this place where I am so full of God’s love that everything I AM, be driven by love ? How would everything I do be driven by His love ?

The Bible reading plan I was reading today*, helped me understand that I would only get in and full of His love throughout my relationship with Him.

I thought about it and it all made sense. God IS LOVE right, so how can I ever say« I love » if I actually do not get closer and more intimate with Love itself (meaning : God!) ?

This really encouraged me in the sense that IT IS NOT ABOUT ME. Furthermore, I CANNOT CHANGE. NOT ON MY OWN. And I’m not meant to. I wasn’t designed with the ability to change myself.

BUT GOD…

With Him, I can grow, I can learn and draw exactly all I need in this life directly from my Creator.

He, does the shaping. He, transforms, stretches and changes me. And He, is the only one ever able to; after all, He, made me.

And so it makes me want more of God. I eagerly desire to be so full of Him that people won’t see Élise anymore, but truly would experience His presence resting upon me.

I was reading about Jesus, Stephen, David and Abraham and all these great people who had such closeness with God that He talked to them directly and I thought "how I WANT THIS... !"

They had in common a servant heart and they would purposefully position themselves in obedience to God being driven by His Holy Spirit who then strengthened them to accomplish what they were called to do.

We notice here again, a « pumping » function !

God attracts our attention. In response, the heart is desiring God and is willing to follow Him. The heart Draws strength from God, the Holy Spirit is given. The heart drives us to act and filled with God, the heart pours out blessings around.

So LOVE.

Love is the driving force through which we should operate. Love is what motivates us to BE and then do.

As I mentioned earlier, the way to get full of God and therefore full of His love, the way that everything I do be under love’s influence would be through my relationship with Him.

I loved What I read in the day 46 of this same reading plan*.

It says : «  The key to developing your love life is wonderfully simple. You do it by MAINTAINING contact with God. You do it by fellowshipping with Him in the Word and in prayer - by staying in union and communion with Him and letting His life flow through you» - Gloria Copeland

I especially love the word « MAINTAIN » here, because it means you do not and never will acquire God’s presence once for all. It is a relationship process; and just like every relationship, it needs to develop. It will grow along with your investment, with the time and energy you choose to pour into this relationship.

It is an ENGAGEMENT. A choice for partnership.

The reason that moved me to retrospectively question myself, is that in some ways at a certain time, I really felt, away from God. I couldn’t, neither would I have it this way. I was simply not willing to accept it. NO ! I hadn’t just started to pursue His glorious presence to just watch myself, sitting there on the sideline again. I was determined to keep on searching for my Savior. To move towards Him. To Engage and pursue Him.

You know, when you have tasted something THAT good, you can never accept to have it again if you’re not assured that it will taste at least as fantastic as that time you first had it or if it doesn’t come with the promise of a better experience.

When you’ve tasted "GREAT" you can no longer accept "MEDIOCRE".

Well friends, it the same with God’s presence. it is so good that once you’ve experienced it, you forever want it and never get enough, get full or tired to it ! But instead, along with the quenching process you’re experiencing, comes a stronger desire for more. You stretch and have room for more.

When you know and think about the fact that God created us to be in relation with Him, it again, makes all sense. Remember Eden ...?

There, back right in the middle of the perfect creation process, when God created man & woman, He created us as beings, directly in relationship with Him.

Love is still the answer to a lot of questioning.

Love changes who you are, when you choose to dwell in Jesus.

If that is true, we might as well want to discover and taste who and what love truly is. I believe this is the truly wonderful and captivating adventure we’re invited in !

Sometimes, when I get to my senses -yes, it does happen!- and realize that I might be wrong, that I probably have done, acted, thought or spoke wrongly… when I realize that in that instant, I’ve gone astray from God’s purpose for my life; at moments like these, I’m particularly encouraged when I read about all that Love is!

Love, the way the Bible describes it (see first Corinthians 13) is beautiful and true. It has nothing to do with what the world talks about when describing love.

Love is patient meaning that when I get LOVE I get understanding, compassionate, gracious and kind

Love is not selfish meaning that when I get LOVE I get selfless.

Love is not envious meaning that when I get LOVE my desires are not focused on other people’s stuff or blessings.

Love is not proud meaning that when I get LOVE, I get out of myself.

Love is forgiving meaning that when I get LOVE, I can also sincerely forgive.

Love is just, meaning that when I get LOVE, justice becomes a priority for me.

Love trusts and persevere meaning that when I get LOVE, I believe the best of every person I meet...

Every time I encounter with God, I get love.

Every time I experience Love, I get transformed.

Every time I invest in my relationship with God, my life is impacted by love and therefore produces love.

It is also good to remember that LOVE is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Once again, this points us towards God, not us; the relationship we are to build with Him. The Bible says that we will only bear fruits when we are attached to Jesus. (1 jean 4: 16-17 AMP)

« He poured out His love in your heart through the Holy Spirit » (Romans 5:5)

I’m truly reassured that I’ll change while I’m dwelling and continue to dwell in His presence. It is enough to keep me moving towards Him and motivate me to keep pursuing Him.

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*The Pursuit of God’s presence by the Copeland Ministries »