Elements of Christian Love

What elements does the Bible say that a Christian's love should possess? 

1) Ask for nothing in return: You love for the good of others, not because of what you may receive. God asks nothing of us when He saves us, so we shouldn't as well.

1 Corinthians 16:14 - "Let all your things be done with charity."

2) Willing to sacrifice: The willingness to sacrifice things and even yourself for others is a very courageous thing to do. Our flesh is naturally, very selfish and we love ourselves, so when we give up something for the good of others, this shows a truly, loving heart.  

John 15:13 - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

3) Love your enemies: As time passes, and the world becomes more overtaken by sin, it seems that the number of enemies of Christians grow. Not only is the number of people that are not getting right with God growing, but the sins are becoming worse as well. It's hard for me as a Christian not to be angered by the world living as if God doesn't even exist. Just a couple of days ago, I heard that someone called Jesus a failure. It's despicable to think people would treat God like this, but we must pray for those people and be a witness for them, for God has mercy, and with our witness, they might see that they need God as well. 

Luke 6:27 - "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you."

4) Sincerity: God's love is nothing but sincere. Everything that God does, He does with a pure heart, with nothing but pure intentions. In life, we cannot do for God, while having ill intentions. God's love and light deserves to be represented with exactly that; love. People can see when someone is being fake, and that is only going to represent God wrongly. 

Romans 12:9- "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."

5) Above all, love God: What more can I say that this verse doesn't? "We love him, because he first loved us." What a simple, but beyond amazing statement. God loves us, and He gave us the most incredible gift when He granted us salvation. For this reason, and the many others, God is to be first in our hearts and lives. 

1 John 4:19 - "We love him, because he first loved us."

Today is the Day to Change Your Life

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

When God saves us, we are made new, but we have to be willing to give our hearts to God, and this doesn't always happen instantly. When I got saved, I kept a lot of my bad habits, even though I knew that they were wrong; I wasn't strong enough at the time to give them up. As time went on, the guilt kept building and building inside of me because I knew that I was sinning against God. I am now at the point that the burden is becoming too much to bear, which is why I have decided to make some drastic changes. 

Throughout my life, I have made many mistakes; the biggest one for me is how I have shut my heart off to love. Even after becoming saved, I did this, which is incredibly wrong of me to do. I haven't loved my family like they have loved me. I haven't said 'I love you' like I should, or said 'thank you' like I should, but I have decided to change that today. No longer am I going to let love feel like a weakness to me, because it's not, it's the greatest strength that we could ever have. Today is the day that I'm going to devote to having a more loving heart, and to express that love better than I ever have before.

I want to be held to this commitment that I am making today, which is why I am posting it in a blog post. I want others to see that I am making a devotion to God, and it should be kept no matter what. I want to be held accountable for what I do. It's about time that I take this leap of faith, and I hope that others will not wait like I did, and change their life today. 

5 Things That Makes Being a Christian the Best Thing In the World.

There are endless reasons that being a Christian is the best thing in the world, but here are 5 of my top reasons: 

1) Hope For A Better Day: No matter what might occur in my life, good or bad, I know that I can count on an even better day. The salvation that God gives us promises a place in Heaven. In Heaven, there will be no night. The day will continue through all eternity, and the joy of being with our Lord will never cease. 

2) We Have A Guide: If I didn't have God and His word guiding me through life, my life would be in complete wreckage. Looking back at some of the decisions that God stopped me from going through with, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so glad that I don't have to make decisions on my own, because the plans that God has is more amazing than I could ever imagine. 

3) We Have The Ultimate Friend: God is the ultimate comforter and encourager. No matter where we are in the world or what we are doing, God is with us. He sees everything we do, and He's there when things go bad or we need support. His powerful hand knows exactly how to cease our pain or sadness, and we will never be on our own.

4) We Are Loved: I think we can all confess to feeling lonely or unloved at some point in our lives. Though, God always reminds us that He is always there with us, and he loves is beyond belief. He gave up his only son, for goodness sake. God gave the ultimate sacrifice, and that's enough to show God's love, yet, He shows His love more and more each day. 

5) We Are Blessed: I've been so blessed in my life that it puts me to shame sometimes. I haven't done for God like I should've throughout my life, and I surely don't deserve all that He has given me. Waking up everyday is a blessing in itself, and I would like to thank God for every breath He has given me. Thankfully, one day I'll be able to stand on front of Him and thank Him, for He has given me the most important blessing of all, salvation from my sins. 

Before Meeting Your Helpmeet

One definition of a help-meet can be, "a helpful companion or partner, especially one's husband or wife." In the sense of marriage, a help-meet is someone that loves another person, and wants to be with them for the rest of their lives, through thick and thin, to help and comfort them through every step of life. In a Godly relationship, marriage is much different than the normal, everyday marriage. A Godly marriage has God at the center of the marriage. Not only do the two people have to worry about taking care of one another, but they must also make sure that they are living for God, and encouraging each other in their walk with God. Of course, a Godly marriage may take more work because they are following more rules, but having God at the center of one's marriage will be what keeps the two people together, and will continue their love throughout their lives.

Preparing for this type of relationship is very important because a relationship begins before even meeting the other person. You can touch the other person's life without even knowing them, and you can get yourself ready to be a better spouse as well. Here are 5 ways to prepare yourself for this meeting:

1) Love Yourself: Ephesians 2:10- "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

God made us exactly how he wants us to be; even the quirks and imperfections, and they should be honored because they are from God. If we don't love those things about ourselves, how do we expect someone else to love them? By having different qualities that others might not possess, we are special to the world, and someone will adore the qualities that God gives us. 

2) Seek God: Psalms 119:10- "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."

God blesses when we are following Him and His word. If we are to honor Him, He will honor us, and give us a Godly spouse. A strong relationship with God will lead to a great, loving relationship with the right person, because God will be the at the center of it.

3) Pray: Philippians 4:6,7- "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Finding the person that we will spend the rest of our lives with is one of the biggest decisions that we will ever make, therefore, we need to pray a lot about it. We need to pray that God will lead us and direct us to the person, and that we will be a Godly spouse to whoever it may be. Also, we need to pray dearly for the person we are supposed to be with. It is important to pray about the other person's life and walk with God because this is the person that we will raise a family with, and it's important to know God is the center of their life. 

4) Trust: Proverbs 3:5- "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Waiting for something so important takes a lot of patience and trust. We must trust that God knows exactly what He's doing, which He does. It's important to have faith in God because He knows what's best for us, while we would mess everything up if we were in control. 

5) Be Pure: Hebrews 13:4- "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

In any Godly relationship, it is super important that purity is a key element. Before marriage, two people that are in a relationship with one another should enter into marriage being pure because this is how God wants it to be. Refraining from immoral behavior will only make the relationship stronger because they are using their strength to wait until marriage, and they are telling one another that they consider each other worthy of waiting for, even before meeting the person they will marry. Waiting for the one, special person to marry, and then being able to act how married couples should, tells the other person that they honor them and God enough to wait. 

The Benefits of a Good Name

Proverbs 22:1-"A goodname is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold."

Having a good name in Christ simply means that you display to the world what a Christian should possess. This consists of characteristics such as kindness, mercy, and most importantly, love. With these characteristics, God will bless you with great benefit: 

1) Better Witness: To be able to witness and influence others to choose God, we must first show what it's like to live for God. If we act in sinful ways, all it is showing to the world is that our Christianity is fake, and hasn't changed us in anyway. Having a good testimony that people look to for guidance will reach more people. 

2) Sincere Love: When a person becomes a Christian, many times, they lose their old friends. Fortunately, they gain new friends in Christ. A good name will attract the right kinds of friends, and you will be able to see who loves you for you. 

3) Improved View on Life: When I wasn't serving God, I had a very clear image of what I wanted my life to be, but I was completely wrong. Once I started following God and His word, it seemed like everything fell into place. I found out who my real friends were, I found within myself what I truly was meant to do, and I was able to better my relationship with God. I've found that other people can see the difference in me, and it feels good to be able to influence them. Not bragging on myself, but I am so much happier with the way I see my own self than ever before, solely because I found a good name.

Being a Christian, and actually putting God's word to action in your life can bring a lot of troubles into your life. You can lose friends, maybe even family, you might have to give up things you love or love to do, but living for God has so much more benefit. It might seem great now that people look up to you for sinful behavior, such as being able to drink the most alcohol, but sooner or later, you'll be left with the wreckage of a sinful life. God has promised that if we live for Him, He will bless us, and give us eternity in Heaven, which is far much greater than anything that the world can do for us. 

Work towards having a good name in Christ. Go out there, and win people to the Lord. Show them how great it really is to be a Christian, and to walk in God's footsteps. 

How to Be Happy in Your Walk With God

Proverbs 17:22- "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."


Having a joyous and thankful heart is one of the key characteristics that a Christian must possess, in order to see their relationship with God flourish. God is looking for the purest of hearts to represent Him. If Christians drag around all the time, tired and sad, people are not going to be influenced to find God in their own life. In a world that is becoming more sinful and stressful, how can we make sure to be happy?

Find Wisdom: Proverbs 3:13 - "Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding." Wisdom comes from learning about God, and knowledge of God comes from the Bible. If we are to read and study our Bible, we can have the hope that comes from God's word, and have the knowledge to explain God's love to others. When there is hope, there is happiness.

Do Good: Ecclesiastes 3:12- "I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life." When we do right by God, we will find God's blessings. God rewards those that follows Him, and good works will not be in vain. 

Be Content: Hebrews 13:5-"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." If we are unhappy with the things that we have now, nothing in the world will ever bring us happiness, because we are always going to want more. In reality, if we have God, we have everything. God's love is more than enough, and no possession can replace that. 

Love Others: Galatians 5:14-"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Hate take more energy than loving someone. Hate brings strife and darkness into a person's heart, while love cleanses the heart. If we are to love those around us, a positive outlook will follow. 

Worship/Serve: Exodus 23:25- "And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee." When we praise God for what He has done for us, we will find joy in our hearts, for a grateful spirit is highly honored by God. By coming together in our place of worship, we can find happiness among our fellow Christians, and find encouragement from one another. 

God is the center of happiness. If we are to follow Him, we are guaranteed an eternity of happiness in Heaven. No work of God will ever go in vain, for it will be cherished. Obey God and His word, and sadness and depression will be feelings of the past. 

God Stretches Out His Forgiveness To Gomer

In the book of Hosea, God tells Hosea to go find a wife, who happened to be a woman of whoredoms. Hosea journeyed, and found Gomer, who in other words was a prostitute, living a life of sin, and took her as his wife. Gomer became pregnant, and had a son, Jezreel. Following Jezreel, Gomer gave birth to a daughter, Loruhamah, and a son, Loammi. Gomer soon began overwhelmed with the responsibilities of her new life, and began to feel like her family was holding her back. She missed her old life that consisted of doing what she wanted, a life where she didn't have to worry about what God wanted of her, or what Hosea expected of her. She soon returned to the ways of her past life, leaving Hosea to solely raise the children. Hosea deeply missed Gomer, because he had grown to love her. God soon came unto Hosea, telling him to go find Gomer, and bring her back home. Hosea did as he was told, and brought her back, and loved her just as before.

Much like the majority of the stories that we read in the Bible, the story of Hosea and Gomer has more than one lesson that can be learned.

1) God's Forgiveness/Mercy: Gomer lived a very sinful life against God, yet, God was very merciful toward her. God allowed Gomer to be the wife of a Godly man, and receive the blessing of children, something that some would love to have, but is not given from God. Even with all of the great things that God placed in Gomer's life, she did not appreciate it, and chose to return to a life of sin. Though, once again, God showed Gomer mercy. Gomer didn't necessarily deserve God's mercy, but He gave it to her, in hopes that she would better her life, and choose to live for God.

2) Following God's Love: Hosea was no doubt hurting when Gomer left him, though, instead of becoming overwhelmed with anger or dismay toward her, he mimicked God's love, and continued to care for her. Hosea did not hesitate when God told him to go bring Gomer back home. Hosea brought Gomer home, and showed her the love that he had always felt for her. Hosea was so forgiving because the love of God lived in his heart, and he followed God's mercy by giving Gomer another chance.

God's forgiveness is extraordinary. He continues to show mercy over and over again, even after we fail him daily. God wants us to mimick His love, and show mercy and forgiveness to one another. We have all sinned, and no one is above another. God has given us chance after chance to repent of our sins, and because He had done this for us, we should do this for others as well in our lives. Due to our sinful ways, God sometimes has to let us go our own ways, but he won't do this without a fight. Some people get so overwhelmed with sin that they never accept God's forgiveness. In the same way, sometimes, we can give chance after chance before it begins hurting our own relationship with God. We must figure out for ourselves when giving another chance to someone is not God's will. Living for God is all about following His footsteps, and forgiveness and mercy is a huge part of this, and we must use it to the best of our abilities.

To My Future Self, A Mother.

Genesis 1:28 - "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

Psalms 127:3 - "Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward."

For me, having children is something that I've dreamed about since I was little. From the time I could sit up, I always had a baby doll with me. As I got older, I began to realize more and more how much work children actually are, and I almost decided against having children altogether because of it. Though, God says that children are a blessing to us, and when I rededicated my life to God, I saw this. Children aren't something that should be expected, but they are a gift from God that should be cherished. 

Recently, I started watching a family on YouTube, and they have really been a true blessing in my life. Their name on YouTube is Sam and Nia, and they have two children. They're devote Christians, and they raise their children to love God. Each morning, they set aside time to read their Bibles together, and discuss what they have read. These types of things is what the children is going to remember when they are older; their parents doing everything in their power to teach them the things of God. It's what is going to keep them serving God, and continuing those traditions with their own children. When watching them, I can really see the love between them, and this comes from their efforts to lead their family in the right path. 

Sam and Nia have done a very well job in teaching their children the love of God from what I can see. They are some of the most well-behaved children that I've seen, and they withhold the love that only God can give. Recently, Nia had a miscarriage, and their oldest child was so empathetic toward Nia, and she is only five. She was so genuinely caring toward her mother, and she wanted to comfort her. Care like that only comes from God, and I pray that if God blesses me with children one day, I can be a Godly example for them.

Up until the point I started watching Sam and Nia, I honestly wasn't crazy about the thought of marrying someone that was fully devoted to God. I thought that marrying someone that was a fully dedicated Christian would take some of the fun out of life. Living for God can be hard. It takes a lot of time and efforts to do right, and I was afraid of what I would have to endure by having a Godly husband. I was completely wrong with this thought. God is the one that will give us a happy life, plus happy ending. Living for God will bring many blessings, and will it will lead to a Godly family. Parents must have God inside of them, in order to be a Godly example for their children. I want to find a husband that loves God, even more than he loves me, and will help lead our family with righteousness. 

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

God said to raise a child in a Godly manner, so that they will never depart from God's word. I am so blessed to have had Godly parents that always kept me on the right path. They taught me the things of God, so that when I got older, I could make the right decisions on my own. Today, I am so happy with where I am with my relationship with God, and I have to thank my parents for that. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't even have heard about God, and I certainly wouldn't be living for Him. If God blesses me with the opportunity of starting a family, I pray that I can look down the line to see my children living for God as adults. 

If you're like me, unmarried without children, I pray that you will find a great, Christian spouse who will be all they can be for God, in hopes that you have a Godly family one day. Personally, I can't wait until I meet the man that God has for me, and I get to begin that journey of my life with him. Someone that I can always count on being beside of me, and standing up for the things of God. A man that will raise our children to be respectable and honorable in God's eyes. I also pray that I can be the mother that God set me out to be. I hope to be a Godly example for my sons and daughters to grow up seeing. 

Jacob Fights for Rachel

The story of Rachel is one of my favorite stories in the Bible because I love a good romance story. The love wasn't about sex or lust like it is in the books and movies today, but it is real love. A love that was worth fighting for.

Rachel and Jacob met one day when Rachel was at the well feeding her father's sheep and Jacob was passing by, following his mother's wishes to go to her land. Jacob loved Rachel as soon as he laid his eyes on her. He removed the large stone was atop the well, and gave water to her flock. He then kissed Rachel, and Rachel ran home to tell her father. Her father, Laban, came and sought Jacob so that he could come work for him. Jacob agreed to work for him seven years for the exchange of his daughter. Jacob was willing to wait however long it took to have Rachel as his own.

When the seven years was up, a wedding was prepared, and Jacob was finally going to be able to marry his love. At the wedding, Laban's daughter was heavily veiled. It was the next day that Jacob found out that he had been fooled. He hadn't married Rachel, but her older sister, Leah. Jacob did not love Leah. Upset, Jacob went unto Laban, and Laban told him that it was customary for the older daughter to marry first. Laban and Jacob made another deal; if Jacob were to work for him another seven years, he could have Rachel as well. After Jacob agreed, he was wed to Rachel a week later.

Leah began having sons, but Rachel did not. This upset Rachel because she is the one that Jacob truly loved, and she was not able to give him sons. After Leah had 10 sons and a daughter, God finally gave Rachel a son, Joseph. Jacob loved Joseph the most because he had came from Rachel.

Twenty years passed and Jacob wanted to leave with his family, but Laban did not want him to. Laban wanted him to wait until the flock was born, and he would give Jacob some. Even after the six years of waiting to receive the flock, Laban still did not want them to leave. Jacob decided enough as enough, and he secretly ran away with his family.

To me, this story shows the real meaning of love. Jacob was willing to do whatever it took to have Rachel as his wife, along with the blessing from her father. Unfortunately, Jacob was not able to leave with her father's blessing, but he repeatedly tried. How many times do we hear stories about someone waiting for twenty plus years for someone's love? How loved Rachel must have felt to see a man that loved her so much that he never gave up on her. From the moment Jacob saw Rachel at the well, he never failed to do whatever was asked of him and he never failed to show Rachel his love. I couldn't imagine how heartbroken Jacob was when he saw that Leah had become his wife instead of Rachel. He had been deceived by Rachel's own father. Though, the happiness that came a week later when he was finally able to marry his love, must have been worth all the pain.

I really feel for Rachel as she had to watch Leah have Jacob's sons and daughter. Rachel saw that it was supposed to be her having Jacob's children because she is the one that Jacob truly loved. Putting myself in Rachel's shoes, I would have been jealous beyond belief and angry because Jacob had been deceived in marrying Leah. It wouldn't have seemed fair that Leah, who Jacob didn't love, was able to have children, but Rachel could not. Though, Rachel received the most blessing when she was able to have the most loved by Jacob when she had Joseph. Joseph turned out to be a great man, and Rachel and Jacob loved him.

I think this story can show us both what love truly means and the patience that we should have for love. Jacob had to wait twenty plus years, so it gives me the strength to wait until God sends the right person to me. We have to fight for the right love. Jacob didn't find the love he wanted in Leah, so he kept fighting and fighting. It's okay to wait. It's okay that there's obstacles. Overcome them, and keep fighting.

Unequally Yoked

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"- 2 Corinthians 6:14

Being equally yoked in the Bible simply means that both of the people in the relationship are saved and serving God. Finding someone in this era that you both love and are equally yoked with can be really tough. Also, it can be really hard to pass up the chances that you have with people that are unequally yoked with you. There's going to be really decent people that aren't saved that you will really like and maybe even love, but God doesn't want this for you. God doesn't want you to be with someone that is going to disobey Him. God wants someone for you that will serve Him along side you and help you grow closer to God. If you were to marry someone that is unequally yoked, then they would just bring you further away from your relationship with God.

I know how easy it is to fall for someone that isn't equally yoked. I've done it plenty of times. They know all the right things to say, they put up a good act, and they sometimes try to be Godly for you. But sooner or later, if they don't get saved, their true colors are going to shine through. All the sins that they have had hidden will soon come out, and you will be left with the person that took you away from God. Currently, there is this guy that I really like and care for very deeply. He's obviously not saved. He has a lot of sin in his life and he seems to get worse. But the thing is, he is such a great person beyond that. He's super funny, his laugh gives me butterflies, he's very genuine and intelligent. But no matter what kind of person he is, at the end of the day, he still doesn't know God. How can I care so deeply for someone that doesn't see what the amazing things that God has done in his life? I pray for him daily and I have done so for almost a year now. I pray for the day that he will get saved, and I might have a chance with him. But I know that if he doesn't get right with God, I can't be with him. I can't leave God, who sent His only son to die for me. God deserves my praise, and I want to be with someone that is going to praise Him with me.

It seems that as time passes, there are more of the wrong guys out there compared to the number of Godly guys. More and more people are living a life of sin, and we might be surprised who is and who isn't. But God does have someone out there for everyone. Someone that they can pray with, praise God with, read the Bible with, and so on. A person that is going to love you beyond belief because God put that love for you in that person's heart. The love that comes from God is greater than anything else that you could think of. It's so strong, and it can never break. Waiting for this person can be hard. I experience a lot of loneliness from the idea of being alone, but I must have faith that God will send me someone soon. While you are praying at night for God to send you someone, you could be praying for someone half across the world and not even know it, and that person could be fixing breakfast while doing the exact same thing. Remember that there is a special person out there that loves you. You might not have met yet, but there is someone. God's love will never fail.