[[love]] rather than experience

I am struck this morning with the gift and grace of God's love: it NEVER fails. It's always faithful. It IS the thing that remains. It IS the character of our Heavenly Father. It casts out the lies and the opposing thoughts - it is Truth and as such it cannot bear the weight of the deception: fear, lies, darkness etc.

 

1 John 4:18 (ESV)

^"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

1 Corinthians 13:8(AMP)

"Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]." 

 

I am struck this morning by the times that I filter things [[as if there is a foggy lens that was placed on me years ago and i have allowed to remain]] through the lens of things-other-than-love. God's vantage point, because of His very nature is Love...he does things, sustains things, allows things, rescues from and to things, because of his very nature of Love. My flesh? Left to the darkness of what I don't know, or to the fear (which isn't of me) of moving forward, I might just find myself keeping the veil on (2 Corinthians 3)....and my lens remains Experience [[what happened in the past]], rather than Love. Love can enlighten and illuminate what is flesh...and can renew my thoughts from experience unto Grace.

Yes, process the things behind us, for healing, freedom, and release. I have found this to be enlightening and incredible (painful, YES!). but let's don't allow the lens to remain, that we might still process things the same way of the old man unto the new pace of the future God has set. That's not the new creation in you. That's not the new creation in me (2 Corinthians 5:17). That's not the New Life. That's not the Redemption guiding the Story. Love must become the filter, Love IS.

 

1 John 4:8(ESV)

^"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

 

Love is the through-line of the story. Story matters - past matters. :) There is no condemnation (Romans 8:1) from the past or over the future - and love covers! Don't be tempted to hide what was, deny it, or be ashamed of it. But don't let the experience win. Let Love win. Spirit of Life and Love is the tone (Romans 8:2). Love never fails - it IS the greatest, because HE is the Alpha and Omega. 

 

1 Peter 4:8 (AMP)

^"Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]."

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."