Will I Ever Love Like Jesus Loves?

4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it [b]keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails I Corinthians 13

Dead in Sin, Alive in Christ

Back in 2016, I wrote a series on love. In the midst of that, I wrote this post. But as I was reading I Corinthians 13, I remembered this poem. This time it took on even a deeper meaning as I tried to navigate the explosive mine fields of I Corinthians 13.  That morning her question was, are you dead? Then today I realized that when it comes to loving like Jesus loves, my heart has areas of scars reminding me that I was dead. Spiritually dead, until Jesus reached forth and awakened my heart to see His Glory, Love and Grace. Only through Jesus Christ am I made alive. My heart is being sanctified and transformed every day.

Perhaps today we can just take a moment to look within our own hearts.  As I pointed out, God is always at work to transform this heart of mine.  The years that Mom lived under my care were at times challenging; but, oh so revealing.  For a long time I remembered the hurt. I wanted to blame her for my mistakes, but the truth is she loved me with a true love. While I believed all I did was loving sacrifice; the truth was very different. And as I remember this poem today, I wonder how much of my heart was truly dead.

A Daughter’s Surprise

Twas a quarter til six 

Before the sunrise 

Came a tap at my door 

Awoke by surprise 

I pretended to snore

With sleep my disguise

She banged even louder

Then called out my name

As “Yes Mom,” I said 

She then did proclaim 

Quite loud “Are you dead?” 

Now how do I answer? 

I thought for a while 

Oh what do I say 

And then with a smile 

I answered this way 

“Yes mom, I’m dead, but 

Don’t call the police 

For an hour or two 

Or three at the least 

Until I say for you to” 

She paused for a moment 

“I wanted to eat 

I don’t want oatmeal 

Or some cream of wheat 

I really do feel 

I want to have eggs 

And toast so you see 

You need to get up 

And cook them for me 

With maybe a cup 

Of fresh coffee to drink” 

That really is what I

Would like! I think?

She said with a sigh

Oh what can I do!

So needless to say 

There would be no hope 

To sleep in today 

Although I could MOPE! 

I tried then to smile 

As her breakfast I cooked 

She stared rather cold

Then declared as she looked, 

“Oh, My You are old!” 

After breakfast, please can

You go to the store 

My diapers are low 

And I really need more 

Two hundred or so 

I must not run out 

I use ten every day 

Down to five hundred 

Well there is no way!! 

Such worry and dread!” 

As she wrung her hands, 

“Oh, me oh my, dear 

What should I now do? 

This worry and fear 

My mind all askew” 

                                “Where was I? Oh Yeah!” 

“Then when you get back 

My Laundry needs done 

But please leave my lunch 

With a sweet roll or bun 

I love you a bunch” 

“Thank you for breakfast 

It really was nice 

For dinner perhaps 

Some chicken and rice 

For snack then some wraps” 

“Oh, my now I’m tired 

I must go to sleep” 

And off mom did go 

To sound slumber deep 

The sun now aglow 

I went to get dressed 

And to my surprise 

There in the mirror 

I saw my mom’s eyes 

Then it was clearer 

That she had been right 

I am getting old 

The thought did occur 

As life does unfold 

One day I’ll be her 

So today I must laugh 

Today I will sing 

And dance through this day 

As though it were spring 

No time to delay 

I pray Holy Spirit, there’s

No time to waste 

No time to be sad 

Or bitterness taste

No time to be mad 

The time doth fly by

So please God I need

Your heart of love

For this I do plead

Your hope from above

Renew my heart

Take all that is dead

In my spirit today

Take all that I dread

And show me Your way

Only You have the Power

To Transform my heart

To look like my King

Each day a new start

To Your Love I’ll cling

Effie Darlene Barba

To Love Like Jesus Loves

When we really read I Corinthians 13, we realize how far from love our hearts really are.

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails

Yet, every day I fail. I lose my patience, act unkind. So often concerned about me that pride and arrogance push way to jealousy. Do I seek the gain of others over me? Or do I hold that grudge forever for the wrongs I have suffered? Do I ever wish bad for another? Could I say I only rejoice in truth, casting aside all entertainment that may dabble in unrighteousness? How am I at keeping secrets? Do I always believe in the good within others? Hoping for their success and enduring hardship so they might shine? Can I say my love never fails? No! Indeed how often I failed Mom and now as time goes by, I realize how much I am her. She always loved me so unconditionally and unselfishly. How did I not see it then, as I do now.

But there is Hope, One Day I Will Love Like Jesus Loves

For you see this is His promise to us. He will transform our hearts, one glory by glory through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Of all the things I desire of heaven, I must say first it is to see Him. And second, it is to know my heart is finally transformed and I will know how to love like Jesus loves. To be fully transformed to be like Him. That will be the greatest gift. Then I can tell Mom how much I really love her like Jesus loves her.

9 For we know in part and prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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DISCLOSURES©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

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