Love

This chapter has really hit home.  What is love?  Who is love?  What does love look like?  What does love look like to me?  So many questions and so many convictions.

"There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."  ~ 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

The New Living Translation offers a slightly different interpretation than the New International Version just listed.

"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."  ~ 1 John 4:18 (NLT)

Fear is a warning sign that indicates I've not fully experienced God's perfect love.  It isn't proof that I'm hopeless for not making myself perfect.  

The section in this chapter about loving myself was really hard!  "God's command to love ourselves recognizes that the degree to which we love (or don't love) ourselves profoundly influences our ability to love others.  We can't give away what we don't have.  If we're full of self-hatred, we can't give love.  If we're full of fear, we can't give respect.  We can give only what we have."

So many days I look in a mirror at myself and I feel like I don't know who the person in the mirror is.  When did I gain the muffin top, the wrinkles on my face, and the gray hairs that are starting to peek out?  How has time gone by so quickly that I don't recognize that it's me in the mirror?  Why is it so hard to love myself when I know that God loves me so much and that I feel so much love toward others.  I have always been told I can't love anyone until I love myself.  Deep down, I think I love myself and that is why I feel and experience love with my family and friends.


I've been known in years past to put on a mask and not let others know who I really am.  Today I can tell you that I am not hiding behind the mask anymore.  God is helping me to heal from the past and experience His real love.  Below I am sharing a graphic that lists ten ways for each of us to love.  I encourage you to look up the verses included.  Never forget that there is always someone who loves you, even if you don't feel like loving yourself.  i encourage you though to work on loving yourself.  I am a work in progress and I know that He loves me.

Please take a moment and check out Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory's new book The Cure for the "Perfect" Life.  You'll be glad you did.

Always remember that God is love.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  ~ 1 John 4:16 (KJV)