Amanda BethSharing the Truths Behind the TRUTH

Dec 27th Monday’s Blog: New Year’s Resolution

Have you thought about what your New Year’s resolution is going to be yet? Mine always seem to be about either saving money, working out, or eating healthier. Then by about February or March, I seem to forget that I ever even made a New Year’s resolution. I have noticed recently that all of my resolutions are about ME. So, I thought that my resolution this year wouldn’t be all about me, it would be about everyone else. Would you like to join me in making a New Year’s resolution to do the one thing that Jesus said is the most important next to loving God, and that  is to love others?

John 15:12 says, This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you (NLT). God is love and His love is always unconditional. We are supposed to love others this same way so that they can see God’s love for them through us. We are representatives of God to the world. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…(2 Corinthians 5:20).

In my book on marriage,  I explain how I was before Jesus changed me. I was a complete mess and as a result, I made my marriage and my family miserable. Even though I was very hard to get along with, my husband committed to loving me unconditionally. His strong love for me, not just in word but in action, is what made me so eager to seek change for myself. Unconditional love has a positive affect on people. Especially in a world where it is all about ME, what benefits ME, what pleases ME, and what makes ME happy. It’s a rarity to see people who are consistently walking in unconditional love toward others.

I was just talking to a man last night and he was explaining how he lived most of his marriage all for himself and he was actually very miserable. He said now that he is denying himself and living for his wife’s needs, he is so happy. This is why God told us to love others. It’s not just for their benefit, but it actually is more for our own benefit, because that is where we will find true joy in our life.

Romans 15:1-3 says, We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please Himself…. This is how we should be toward everyone. We should live our lives loving others without any strings attached, which means that we should never give love expecting it in return.

You may be thinking, then what about my needs? I don’t want to feel like a doormat that everyone walks all over. Philippians 4:19 has the answer, And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. When we are giving ourselves to God and focusing on loving others, He will supply our needs. When I look to God for all of my needs and all my dependence is on Him, it actually doesn’t bother me if someone doesn’t do something for me.

For example, my husband will often tell me that he feels bad that he doesn’t do a lot of the things that I would love for him to do for me. I told him that I would like it, but it honestly doesn’t bother me. My joy is not supposed to be in my husband, or anyone else, meeting my needs. My joy should be completely in God. If my husband does those things for me, it’s a bonus, but I shouldn’t put my hope it that. This keeps me completely free because I am not tying my expectations to anyone else. All our expectations and hopes should be in God alone. This frees us up to love others unconditionally.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Let’s focus on loving others this year. Let’s put all our expectations in God and start living for others to build them up according to their needs.

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**Something to think about this week**

Study verses on love in the Bible this week. Ask God to help you show love toward others because we can’t do it on our own. Carry this verse to remind you how much Jesus loves you so you can love others.

Have a very blessed New Year, and see you in 2011!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35

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**Come back next Monday as I share more of God’s truths and the reasons behind the truths.

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All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.