Day Thirty-Five: He Loves Me

Looking for Love, It's out there somewhere!

     This day's study reminded me of the lyrics, "Searching for love in all the wrong places." Where have you searched for love and acceptance? Your school friends; co-workers, parents, siblings, or bosses? Your spouse or children, even? Why do you think that love always lets you down or at times can not meet your expectations of true love? I believe there is an inherit desire to be loved and accepted. Most of our conflicts are about the very struggle to find love and acceptance somewhere, often anywhere. Maybe we long for it from one person in our life who withholds it from us.
     When we don't find it there, we try other things to hide or soothe the disapointment. Maybe we resort to drugs and alcohol to cover up the pain or fool ourselves into thinking we have found a deep connection with others that party with us. It could be that you search for love replacements in material things or hide away in your work or the busyness of your life trying to dull the pain of disappointment.
     A lot of relationship conflicts can be solved when we learn to quit expecting perfect love from imperfect love givers. There is only one who can give us the perfect love we desire and I believe the inherit desire is in us to keep bringing us back to him. The desire for love and acceptance can not be satisfied through any other source than the source of perfect love himself. But through love and acceptance with the perfect source of love we can learn to love others unconditionally and offer them a conduit to perfect love.
   "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." 1 John 4:16 (NLT)

 STUDY GUIDE

Follow along inJOHN: 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore pages 167-170
 Read 1 John 4:13-19
 Answer the questions in your study guide.
 Share a brief highlight or two from your thoughts and answers in a comment posted to the group. (Read guidelines and cautions posted August 1, 2010 before you post).
 Read the comments of others and share your thoughts and encouragement with them by replying to their comments. Identify which post you are responding to by addressing them and their subject or pasting a brief portion of their reply at the start of your post.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, thank you for your perfect love. Thank you for letting  us remain in your love and loving us unconditionally through Christ Jesus. Help us to come to know and believe fully in the love and acceptance that God has for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.