The Love Challenge

I have been reading Love Revolution by Joyce Meyer and decided to accept her challenge this week of starting my own Love Revolution. Since I am a woman and you know we love to have company for just about anything we do, I decided to ask my friend Nichole to join me.

So to begin the challenge I needed to re-read what Love is according to Jesus and find a way to get myself off my mind. Hmm, now I am singing "You were always on my mind", not off to a good start!

I Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. It is not rude. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs. Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up.

It does not want what belongs to others...That really hits home with me. I often have myself on my mind. The moment my eyes open in the morning I start thinking of my day. How I want it to go, what I need to accomplish, what I want to happen, what I would like to buy, how I wish I had what she had, how great her life must be, if only I had that opportunity...Okay, you get the picture.

I found my Love walk needed to begin in my current relationships. As I have been reading and studying on love I would be reminded of times in my closest relationships where I did not respond in love and I was certainly not willing to do more than was necessary. I think I often take those closest to me for granted and think they already like and love me so I don't need to do anything more. Didn’t they enter this relationship knowing how selfish I could be? Yet those were the people that I needed to begin with. How can I profess to love someone else when I can’t even show love to those closest to me. So my love revolution begins at home. This week I made some homemade soup for my boyfriend, did an errand for him, treated a friend to a concert, and sent a card to an old friend.

I know it may not seem like much but for me and my closed off heart these were monumental. And as I found my flesh screaming and slowly dying it felt good. I don’t want to keep my heart closed off anymore. I want to open it up and give it away. The more love I give away; the more love I will receive in return. I am renewed and determined. And as Joyce says "Nothing good happens accidentally”.