Love-Help Us Do It

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February 15

 "Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16:10 
Seriously?

We are called to love because God loved us first and gave Jesus as our perfect Savior.
But we are not called to do this on our own.  Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 Somewhere I read this "Help us" Holy Spirit list. Whew!  I need to post this one! 
  • Help us love well when we’d rather be defensive, right, and remain a bit smug.
  • Help us love well when we’re tired, frustrated, and sleep-deprived.
  • Help us love well when we are in the presence of the broken, weak, poor, and homeless.
  • Help us love well when it’s time to deal with situations at work, in a friendship, or in our family, but we’d rather avoid the conflict.
  • Help us love well when our spouse or child needs to talk, but we dread the conversation.
  • Help us love well in the presence of people who have brought harm to our hearts.
  • Help us love well in a culture of political diatribe, divisive personalities, and unfiltered harshness.
  • Help us love well when our takeout order is wrong, our UPS delivery is late, or guests show up early.
  • Help us love well—not just use kindness or niceness to get something.
  • Help us love well when those we’re with don’t care diddly-squat about Jesus, the gospel, or eternal matters.
  • Help us love well when we don’t have control over people, situations, or outcomes, but would love to.
Father, how quickly we forget there is free help available to us when we don't feel like loving.  Keep us constantly looking up and calling out for the transforming love of Jesus to change our hearts.  May we release our reigns of control and allow the Holy Spirit to halt us when we are running rapidly the wrong way and about to wound others.  May we remember it is possible for us to "love well" because the Holy Spirit equips us to be by-products of Your grace and mercy flowing out to a hurting world.

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