Love Can Change The Heart

You ever had one of those conversations that even after it's over you sit and think about the things that you talked about. You not only think about things the other person shared with you, but you also think about some of the things that came out of your own mouth. And you know that those were God's words flowing through you. It may even be something you have said before, but this time when you shared it God gave you more or He even showed you something new from the same words. Well last night that happened to me. I had an amazing conversation with a friend and as we were talking about God's goodness and how it changes us, I shared something that I have said before. But this time God gave me more details when I said it and in my own heart He spoke to me using my own words. So today I would like to share this with you and hope and pray that someone will take a closer look at their relationship with Jesus because of this blog and the words God gave me.
I was sharing with my friend that I see to many people walking around with wearing the label of "Christian", but not living the life of a Christian. Now when I say that, I want to be very clear that I am not making a judgemental statement, but more of a statement that saddens my heart. Because the very next words out of my mouth were that I used to be one of those people. I was a person who "claimed" to be a Christian, but I truly didn't look much different than the rest of the world. I was not walking the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14) by any means. I was running full force down a very wide path with a lot of other people who were chasing their own earthly desires. There wasn't anything about my heart that was changed by going to church, because I wasn't really in a relationship with Jesus. I was just gong to church and followed some "religious" rules.
But last night when I was sharing this with my friend, I said that now that my eyes have been opened, I see a relationship with Jesus in a totally different way. And this is the example I used with her....
No matter how "wreckless" of a life you are living. No matter if you have spent years sleeping around, partying, living the "single life" and just pretty much been focused on living the world's idea of a "good time", something happens to you when you meet someone and truly fall in love. Something happens on the inside of you when another person captivates your heart and you find that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with. The love you feel for that person changes you. It changes the things you want to do and it changes the things that you think are "ok" to do. And once you commit yourself to them, you couldn't imagine living the same kind of life that you were because you know it would hurt them. And that's not what you want to do when you truly love someone. If at the alter on your wedding day your spouse handed you a piece of paper and said these are the things that would break my heart if you did them (which it shouldn't take a list for you to know these things), I would hope that you would do your very best to not do them. Not because they are rules, but because you care so deeply for that person....right? And then I said this....Why do people have such a hard time seeing their relationship with Jesus the same way? Why is it that we can't see that He died for us out of pure love and when we come into a relationship with Him, that love should change us. Just the same way we would never want to hurt a spouse we love...we even more should not want to hurt a savior who we love. Especially one who paid such an amazing price just to be in relationship with us. That kind of love, when it penetrates our hearts, should cause such a radical change in us that it can be seen by all. The way you think, the way you interact, the way you forgive, the way you care, the compassion you feel toward others...and the way you love, should all be changed by the relationship you have with Jesus. And the main reason why is because when you realize how much He loves you despite anything you have every done to hurt Him....it makes you never want to hurt Him again. When you can feel the forgiveness Jesus has to offer...the grace and mercy....the love and acceptance...it should be enough to make you want to be as much like Him as possible. And the change that DOES take place in you is not because someone handed you a list of do's and don't...but it's because someone showed you what perfect love looks like and that alone changed your heart, mind and soul.
God, You do offer us perfect and unconditional love. You accept us just as we are, but then your love penetrates our hearts and begins to change us. Holy Spirit help us allow the change and do not let us fear it. Stop the enemy from convincing us it's ok to stay the same...in Jesus name. Show us that when light penetrates the darkness, the darkness has to give way to the light. So may Your light chase away all darkness left in us. In Jesus name, Amen