Todays prompt: Longing
Welcome February, the month the world celebrates love. There are Christians who shun celebrating Valentine's Day. However, I believe anytime real love is celebrated, God is pleased.
The longing to love and be loved is ingrained in each of us. Studies show this is one of the most basic and fundamental needs of all humans.
The ability to love and love others determines our happiness level, which affects our emotional, mental, and physical health. Psychology Today says that the desire to love and care for others is hard-wired and deep-seated because the fulfillment of this desire enhances our happiness levels. Expressing love benefits not just the recipient of the affection, but also the person who delivers it.
Love is also believed to be essential to fulfilling our dreams, realizing our potential, and discovering our talents. When we feel loved, we can appreciate everything about ourselves. As we experience love, we embrace our gifts, talents, abilities, and even our unique appearance. Only by loving ourselves, we can see how to love others. If we don't feel loved, we can't see those things, and it is impossible to love.
Psychologists know love is key to living a healthy life but can't explain why. But we know.
We were created in the image of God; who is love. He longs to show His love and be loved in return. Therefore that same longing to love and be loved is part of our very makeup.
The world believes loving yourself and others is enough to satisfy this longing, but it is not. Only a love relationship with Jesus will accomplish that. That is the direction God is leading us during this month of celebrating love.
To BECOME (my One Word for the Year) all that we were created to be, we first must love and allow ourselves to be loved. One of the action steps the Lord led me to do for this month is Love, Linger, Listen, Light, Laugh.
Each day I am to seek out His presence and linger there, loving on Him and listening to His love for me. In this time, the spirit of the Lord will tear down walls that are preventing me from experiencing the full joy of His love. Once these walls come down, I will begin to see more clearly. Without the walls casting deep shadows, my path will light up. A new level of happiness and joy will cause me to laugh!
I have found a YouTube video that I am using to aid in love, linger, and listen. Try it out for yourself.
Join me this month as we Love, Linger, Listen, Light, & Laugh. It will fulfill that longing for love that God placed in you when you were formed. Your paths will light up, and your happiness level will overflow until you can't help but laugh!
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7 comments
Such good words here, Jodee, my biggest struggle is to allow myself to be loved, especially by Jesus. I seek His love, and linger in His presence, but never listen for His love for me. Stuck in performance mode. But your post today has caused me to stop and think about this. That is not what God wants for me! Thank you!
Become is a great word. Such a lovely post. Thanks for linking up with grace and truth!
It’s so true. People need love. My students do so much better in class when they realize I love them. Having an entire staff loving on students can be a little overwhelming for kids who think they aren’t worthy of love. But they catch on!
What a wonderful word, Jodee! My word is intentional – I feel drawn to intentionally worship Him, delight in Him, and pursue Him. You have articulated it so well here, “To BECOME (my One Word for the Year) all that we were created to be, we first must love and allow ourselves to be loved. One of the action steps the Lord led me to do for this month is Love, Linger, Listen, Light, Laugh.” I appreciate the Love, Linger, Listen aspect and look forward to the Light and laugther.
I’ll take on that challenge to “seek out His presence and linger there, loving on Him and listening to His love for me.” Very appropriate and needed for me and others I know.