What is "perfect love"? Simple! Loving and giving love without conditions! That is God's love, pure and true. God loves us even when we are in rebellion against Him! His Holy Spirit moves, drawing us to desire to be in a relationship with Him even while we spit in His face! THAT is LOVE!
My story of God's perfect love happened in a stairwell when I was about 20 years old. I was living with my boyfriend. I had been raised in church, had accepted Christ as a child, and left Him when I left home for college in Louisville. I was working in Nashville. Yes, those two cities are far apart! I had wondered far from God's will and plan! Anyway, I recognized the Voice. That still, non-accusing Voice ... "Come home" "I'm here" "This isn't what I planned for you" "Vivian, I love you!"
One day, The Spirit was more than I could bare! I think I knew the "man" I was living with didn't really love me. I also think that there was a part of me who knew he'd never fill the desire of perfect love that I was so long to experience. I was lost! I was broken searching for something I didn't understand because I had never really experienced "perfect love". I went into one of the rarely used stairwells and cried. I cried out to Jesus and He heard my heart's scream!
The road has been rough and long. When I look back, my only regret is I didn't have a stairwell moment sooner! I can see how God was working in my favor to bring me to the stairwell moment. I can also see where I would have had a stairwell moment sooner BUT it was my own stubborn choices that dodged Him. He didn't give up!
Have I always obeyed Him since that moment? No. He had to teach me and train me He IS TRUSTWORTHY! There are things I'm ashamed of doing BUT those are ALL covered by His perfect love and He will NOT hold them against me! Thank You, Jesus!
(Blog for the Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study blog hop)
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful image of God's #perfectlove! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteJennifer N
OBS Core/Teaching Team
I had a similar experience recently. I was living with a man and the relationship had gotten painful. God would feel my head every night with the same thought, "you can't stay here". Night after night, I'd try sleeping in different room, anything I could think of to try and quiet the thoughts and get some sleep. Finally, I just accepted it. God was right. I had to leave. He lined everything up to help me find a place to go. It hasn't been easy but he is with me every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your willingness to share your story with us. How true, that He is trustworthy!!
ReplyDeleteVivian, thank you for sharing your stairwell moment of #perfectlove! And oh how we He shows us that He has and is always there with arms wide open for us... Thanks for opening your heart with us, love you! Your Small Group Leader of #63!!! (So proud!)
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