"The deepest beauty of love is how it changes lives."
I've had a lot on my mind lately as I try to really get to the root of the meaning of life. Wondering what God really expects from me, rather than what I have been expecting from myself but attributing it to God. What does it take for someone to be considered a "good" person in His eyes and how can I make the most of what I have been given... I'd love to say I have it all sorted and I can clearly answer that question. Yet, I can't say that. I think sometimes as human beings, we try to oversimplify things. We try to lay out the rules and claim that everything is black and white. If you do this... you're a good person. If you do that... you're a bad person. I firmly believe that God's way of thinking is so much more comprehensive than our own. I am convinced that God doesn't see things in black and white, but rather a full spectrum of colors that we don't even know exist.
I think He looks at each one of our lives on its own, without comparison to others. I think God looks at our individual growth. I believe He sees our hearts and our intentions. I wonder if too often we attribute judgmental-ness with God's character. Then I have to question if God is so harsh and judgmental, why would we have chosen to follow Him... Why would He have provided a Savior for us if He wasn't the most loving, kind, forgiving Father there ever was. I believe God is every good trait magnified to its fullest potential. It is incomprehensible for us to understand the intensity of which God loves and forgives. So then how do we get it so wrong? How are we able to assume this God full of love would be so quick to condemn us or judge us. Is it because this love He possesses is so foreign to us, that it's hard to believe anyone could ever love us that much. Perhaps... which then leads me to question if the people who love the most are the ones who actually understand God the best. The ones who spend less time judging and more time loving and serving others. Not because they're afraid of what God will think if they don't do it, but rather because they know God well and understand a little better that love which God has for them. Which would then confirm the truth in the saying "those hardest to love are the ones who need it the most". Through loving others we give them the gift of a glimpse of God. We get to help them see their value; the value and worth they have purely from being a child of God. No one needs to earn value or prove their worth. They already have it, they just don't know it yet.
I have come to believe that our desires are important to God. They are important to Him because they are important to us. I think about people I love in my life and how their dreams are important to me because I want them to have the things that they believe will bring them joy. If that is important to me (and I am very far from loving people the way God does), then how much more important is it to God?? He cares about our desires. Not only does he care about them, but he supports us in our pursuit of them. He understands our hearts and souls. He is our greatest cheerleader. He has an active role in our lives. His love for us will never fade. He is always there for us and He will continue to always be there for us.
So then I have to ask myself, what is it that I want out of life? What are my desires? What are my expectations? What would it take for me to get to the end of my life and look back proudly on everything I had done? I find that for me, I experience the most joy when I am loving others. I read an article recently about how love isn't just a feeling, it's an action. When we love people we show it. Love changes us as it literally changes our actions toward ourselves and others.
Love multiplies when shared. Love creates a space for people to feel safe and comfortable which allows them to be more vulnerable and authentic. Love is perhaps the most powerful gift we can give to others. It is through love that walls are torn down, hearts are healed, and faith is rekindled. It is through loving others that we are able to recognize more of our potential and enhance the God-like characteristics that we all have been given.
The more I reflect, the more I believe that we are here to love others, to allow love to refine and define who we are and who we are becoming. Love allows us to build connections with others. It allows us to see people in a new light... a brighter light. Love brings joy and happiness like nothing else can. When we love others we put ourselves in a place where we can connect on a deeper level with God. That connection we have with God is powerful and enlightening and it will bring a peace to our souls that we cannot find anywhere else. So I suppose that love is our purpose... If we are here to learn to become more like God and God is love... then I think striving to love others and ourselves is the key to living a life we can look back on and be proud of.
I've had a lot on my mind lately as I try to really get to the root of the meaning of life. Wondering what God really expects from me, rather than what I have been expecting from myself but attributing it to God. What does it take for someone to be considered a "good" person in His eyes and how can I make the most of what I have been given... I'd love to say I have it all sorted and I can clearly answer that question. Yet, I can't say that. I think sometimes as human beings, we try to oversimplify things. We try to lay out the rules and claim that everything is black and white. If you do this... you're a good person. If you do that... you're a bad person. I firmly believe that God's way of thinking is so much more comprehensive than our own. I am convinced that God doesn't see things in black and white, but rather a full spectrum of colors that we don't even know exist.
I think He looks at each one of our lives on its own, without comparison to others. I think God looks at our individual growth. I believe He sees our hearts and our intentions. I wonder if too often we attribute judgmental-ness with God's character. Then I have to question if God is so harsh and judgmental, why would we have chosen to follow Him... Why would He have provided a Savior for us if He wasn't the most loving, kind, forgiving Father there ever was. I believe God is every good trait magnified to its fullest potential. It is incomprehensible for us to understand the intensity of which God loves and forgives. So then how do we get it so wrong? How are we able to assume this God full of love would be so quick to condemn us or judge us. Is it because this love He possesses is so foreign to us, that it's hard to believe anyone could ever love us that much. Perhaps... which then leads me to question if the people who love the most are the ones who actually understand God the best. The ones who spend less time judging and more time loving and serving others. Not because they're afraid of what God will think if they don't do it, but rather because they know God well and understand a little better that love which God has for them. Which would then confirm the truth in the saying "those hardest to love are the ones who need it the most". Through loving others we give them the gift of a glimpse of God. We get to help them see their value; the value and worth they have purely from being a child of God. No one needs to earn value or prove their worth. They already have it, they just don't know it yet.
I have come to believe that our desires are important to God. They are important to Him because they are important to us. I think about people I love in my life and how their dreams are important to me because I want them to have the things that they believe will bring them joy. If that is important to me (and I am very far from loving people the way God does), then how much more important is it to God?? He cares about our desires. Not only does he care about them, but he supports us in our pursuit of them. He understands our hearts and souls. He is our greatest cheerleader. He has an active role in our lives. His love for us will never fade. He is always there for us and He will continue to always be there for us.
So then I have to ask myself, what is it that I want out of life? What are my desires? What are my expectations? What would it take for me to get to the end of my life and look back proudly on everything I had done? I find that for me, I experience the most joy when I am loving others. I read an article recently about how love isn't just a feeling, it's an action. When we love people we show it. Love changes us as it literally changes our actions toward ourselves and others.
Love multiplies when shared. Love creates a space for people to feel safe and comfortable which allows them to be more vulnerable and authentic. Love is perhaps the most powerful gift we can give to others. It is through love that walls are torn down, hearts are healed, and faith is rekindled. It is through loving others that we are able to recognize more of our potential and enhance the God-like characteristics that we all have been given.
The more I reflect, the more I believe that we are here to love others, to allow love to refine and define who we are and who we are becoming. Love allows us to build connections with others. It allows us to see people in a new light... a brighter light. Love brings joy and happiness like nothing else can. When we love others we put ourselves in a place where we can connect on a deeper level with God. That connection we have with God is powerful and enlightening and it will bring a peace to our souls that we cannot find anywhere else. So I suppose that love is our purpose... If we are here to learn to become more like God and God is love... then I think striving to love others and ourselves is the key to living a life we can look back on and be proud of.
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