You're not going to want to miss a single sermon in this next series by Pastor Douglas Na'a. Why? It's going to be on LOVE--and when it comes to love--the more the better!
What is LOVE?
Love is the most powerful force in the world. It changes people! But
unless you love enough to experience how love can revolutionize your relationships and
turn the obnoxious people into loveable ones, you’ll have a hard time believing in its power.
Maybe this will help: Imagine that deep in your heart there is a love cup. When it's full, life is worth living and it's relatively easy to be kind, generous, thoughtful and patient. But when it's empty, you have nothing to give. Instead, you're filled with negative thoughts and feelings.
The love that fills the empty place in your heart is agape love. It comes from God through the people around you. It is a principle, not necessarily devoid of emotion, but not
dependent on it either. It is love given with no strings attached, just because
the other exists. When experienced, endorphins‑‑which are chemically similar
to morphine‑‑flow into your brain, producing the sense of security, peace and
calm. You feel good because you feel intrinsically valuable.
Much of the time you are unaware of your love cup. When it’s full you feel like sharing. You feel alive and want to sing and shout for joy, But when you're empty, you experience the opposite. You become selfish and hurt others with your thoughtless words and behavior.
Did you know you have the power to fill the love cups of others? And when you do, you'll be surprised at the result!
Here's an Example of Love Power
Mindy’s husband
was difficult to love. He never remembered his dad saying, “I love you,” and he
grew up having to look out for himself. He married, but found it hard to be
warm and responsive. Mindy was just about ready to give up on her marriage when
she came to the weekend women’s retreat and heard these words, “Do you
sometimes feel empty and wish someone would give you a little love and
attention? Well, the answer might be to
first give some love away.”
Mindy was intrigued by the love-cup principle.
Could it be that her husband was unloving because his love cup was empty and he
had nothing to give? If he were full and overflowing perhaps he could be loving
too. She determined to try and fill him up.
When Mindy got home from the retreat she asked
her husband to sit down because she had a list of things to read to him. His back
bristled. Immediately he thought about the faucet that didn’t work and the lawn
that needed mowing. He sat in silence as Missy began reading her list of all the reasons she loved him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! At the end, he smiled
weakly and asked, “Is that all?”
“Oh,
no,” she said quickly, thinking of a few more things that she appreciated about
him.
Nothing like
this had occurred in their marriage for a long time, and he just didn’t know
how to respond.
Now I must
interrupt the story to share with you something that happened a number of years
before. Then I’ll tell you the ending of the story. Mindy had wanted a mixer that kneaded
bread dough. She knew the budget could never stand this luxury item, but she
asked her husband anyway.
“I’ll make a
deal with you,” he bargained, “if you lose weight, I’ll get you a mixer.” Mindy
tried. She starved herself and gained five pounds. Two years went by. No weight
lost‑‑and no mixer. And now back to the story of the love list.
Later
that afternoon her husband said, “Oh, Mindy, I’ve decided I should go down to
the bank and arrange for the financing to get the jeep fixed, and
while I’m there I might as well get enough money for that bread mixer that
you’ve been wanting.” It was his way of saying, “Mindy, I love you, too.”
And
the result? Mindy began losing weight‑‑even with mouth‑watering loaves of fresh
home‑baked bread in the kitchen!
What can you learn from Mindy's story?
Just this. When you feel unloved and your
life seems empty, it’s time to start reaching out to others. In the process of
filling others with love, the chances are that love will be poured back into
your life in ways that you might least expect.
But caution!
Don’t give love to get it! Give love regardless of the outcome. Give love even though it may seem
wasted.
No comments:
Post a Comment