Eternal and unlimited, that is You. You have always been—are—and will always be. You are the Great “I am.” Abundance flows from You, and it never ceases to be. How mighty is my God!
You are the perfect demonstration of selflessness. You loved me first, even when I was (and, so many times, continue to be) unlovable. I am loved in this world by others, but never perfectly like You. It’s impossible for a human to do.
You also love me through others. And You use me to love others. That love is demonstrated in so many beautiful ways. It may be as simple as taking the time to talk to a friend on a busy day, or as elaborate as orchestrating an outing for the family to go serve in a food pantry when what we really want to do is go to the beach. It could be choosing to do what a family member wants when I had planned to do something else for myself.
The point of showing love is to put the other person first. To set myself aside for another. The most grand example was Jesus on the cross. Selflessness personified.
While I am finite on earth—with You and after death, I will live eternally. What I do here on earth has eternal consequences. Obviously, the first is choosing to accept You in my heart by faith. But also, by what I do and don’t do as relates to others.
My relationships have eternal impact—sharing Your love, doing as You would do. Your light shines through me, illuminating Your Presence. It also shows how You’ve impacted me and my life. I’ve been transformed by Your love and want to be a transformative vessel of Your love in the lives of others.
I pray that a desire wells up in me, to do for another—in exchange for nothing. That I do just because I love, even for a stranger or someone I may not like. Holy Spirit, this is not continually possible in my own selfish strength, but it is immensely possible in Your Power. I pray for this to be the pattern of my life.
You loved me first. You love me now. You’ll love me tomorrow and forever. May I live fully into Your love and may that love pour out into the lives of others.
In the Loving Name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.
