More healing to be had.

The most phenomenal thing that ever happened to me in my life was being healed by the unconditional love of God.  He loved me enough to die for me while I was His enemy.  What kind of love is this?!  How much must He love humanity!

When you have received this much mercy what else can you do but show mercy to everyone the Father loves--the whole World!  We love because He first loved us (http://biblehub.com/1_john/4-19.htm).  This is supposed to be the pattern of a child of God.  Receive Love, Joy, Mercy, and Peace; give love, joy, mercy and peace.

This in-pouring of love healed so much of the wounds of my life.  These wounds were mostly caused by feeling devalued by others.  The Love of God poured truth onto my wounds like a healing salve.  I will never be the same again!

Yet, this is only half of the equation for healing.  Receiving Love is a wonderful thing!  But, there is more healing to be had.  If all that we do is receive unconditional love, but do not pour it out on the world around us it turns putrid in our souls.

Love is a dynamic force.  It is meant to flow.  If we choose not to let it flow into our lives we cannot be healed.  In the same way it must flow out of us to the world around us.  Like a swamp where water flows in but doesn't flow out at the same rate, our thinking begins to rot and stink. 

I have received as much healing from my old wounds by letting unconditional love flow out of me as much as allowing it in.  There is still a lot for me to learn about love, but I am committed to it.  I have seen the results and there is no going back.  

Loving others is hard.  It isn't always as simple as doing what others want you to do.  Often times that is the worst thing to do.  Love is looking out for others best interest.  Often times they can't see what is in their best interest.  Sometimes the equation involves more than one variable.  Things like how do I love one person and another person when the two things look like opposites.  Love isn't just roses and chocolates.  Sometimes it's downright muddy.

However, I have always found that making the effort has returns-on-investment that I never contemplated.  I have received more healing letting love out than letting it in.

We all have those relationships with "difficult" people.  Sometimes it is with the person we committed our lives to.  I have seen so many marriages crumble around me lately--ones I would never have imagined.  My heart aches for "Christians" to realize that love is not just something we are supposed to talk about or receive.  It is to become who we are.  God loves because He is love. It is the essence of His character therefore He cannot act otherwise.  We are to be reflecting who He is to this World.  We are to be transformed into the likeness of His image! Love because it is who you are, not because the world deserves you.