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Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Sunday 1 February 2009

Spiritual Sundays- The Love Month



Happy Spiritual Sundays everyone! Please check out all the wonderful inspirationals today, by clicking on the Spiritual Sundays button on my sidebar. Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for making this possible.



Today is the first day of February and everyone is focused on Valentine's Day. This is 'heart month'; Sweetheart's month, heart & stroke month. The whole month revolves around heart issues.

So, in keeping with the heart theme, I would like to quote a great man of God who lived from 1874-1917, well before our time but his teachings and writings transcend into our generation.

DO YOU REALLY LOVE HIM?

'If what we call love doesn't take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never to be taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love.

Have you ever been driven to do something for God not because you felt that it was useful or your duty to do so, or that there was anything in it for you, but simply because you love Him? Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I'm not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things - things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus? "She has done a good work for Me." {Mark 14:6}

There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him. To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. "....but perfect love casts out all fear..." once we are surrendered to God {1John 4:18}. We should quit asking ourselves, "Am I of any use?" and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.' - From "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers

We show our love for God when we share His love with others.

May we all be our utmost for His highest! God bless you and make you a blessing today.

11 comments :

  1. My prayer is that He could use me. Thanks for sharing. Happy Spiritual Sunday.

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  2. Thank you Sandi, for sharing my desire has always been that I would be His Utmost..and you are so right when we show His love to others we are showing how much we love Him. Excellent post!!! Aren't you enjoying all of the posts for Spiritual Sunday?
    Blessings, Sue

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  3. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your inspirations.

    You have a lovely home. I love your pink rose chintz china I saw in an older post.

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  4. Wonderful encouraging post. Thank you for sharing this insight with us today.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

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  5. Sandi, Thank you for this post. To be totally surrendered to God is what I work on every day and some days, it is not easy. Thanks for sharing. But as I do it, I realize that it is for my good and that makes it easier.

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  6. Aren't we glad God is able "even of these stones to make children of Abraham" and that He doesn't depend on us. We have opportunity to depend on Him to work through us. Thank you for sharing.

    Jennifer

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  7. What a wonderful reminder that we should do all things as unto the Lord. Thank you for posting this.

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  8. Thank-you for this message today, I needed to read this.
    Ginger

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  9. thanks for sharing-after reading your post the song "I Surrender All" came to me. Praying we all love Him and worship and adore Him, for there is nothing or no one that deserves our praises.
    Blessings-

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  10. I love Oswald Chambers. I have done his devotions several times.

    I totally missed an opportunity yesterday when I was at the mall. Your reminder is timely. : ) Thank you.

    ~Liz

    PS I'm having a give away if you get a chance zip on over. :)

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

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