1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Yep, it sure can be hard to love people! But what makes it hard? Huh? I find when I am having a super hard time loving someone, [Biblical sense], there is something seriously wrong. 'Not greater love hath no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.' I was thinking… would I really lay down my life for my friends? An answer came back strait away 'nope'. Spot something wrong? It took me a while! It finally dawned on me that we are commanded to love Him first, and others second, and ourselves last. I should be totally ready to die for Him! Right! Inner makeover! Here's a helpful acronym…

Jesus first

Others next

Yourself last!

It will truly give you joy, a joy apart from circumstances.

Not matter what! In other words, nothing can take our joy away from us. Incredible huh? Well, it just gets better. Christ died for us. He paid the price. Cling to Him. Trust Him with everything.

  

 

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."