Such a lively discussion we had in our small groups at the end of this session. As a facilitator, I certainly enjoy the chatter, laughter, tears and prayers that these Girlfriend's of Faith share each Wednesday.
Beth Moore rehearsed with us our Four Confessions of Love once again:
- God is perfect love
- Nothing can separate me from God's perfect love
- God pours His perfect love into my imperfect heart
- Accessed, I can love anyone through anything
As a group we are memorizing these four confessions, so when we encounter our "testy" and our "foe", we can repeat these to ourselves in order to respond in a healthy way.
These are my notes from this powerful session:
We want powerful things done through us, but not to us. He's never going to do through us what we've not allowed Him to do in us.
We will not love well until we feel well-loved.
We were asked a question: When God is showing you His love, can you recognize it?
We have so much history that we've been blinded to the recognition of God's love. We need to not just "know it" but experience it down in our spiritual gut that we are completely loved and cherished by God.
If this does not get through to us, we will be unhealthy believers all our entire lives.
Anything is easier than loving. The love of God must be ministered to us before it can be ministered through us.
These are two points Beth brought out in this session:
God is perfect love. Our first statement of confession.
God is not only love, but He's perfect love. We know a lot of things by memory and intellect that have never made it through to our hearts. if it was getting in, it would be getting out.
If God is love, then it's not just a feeling to God. It's who He is. Love is something God is. Love is part of God's God-ness.
Nothing you can do can make God love you less because it's not an emotion to God. It's an expression of His being God.
We think God is like us. He's not. It's impossible for Him to love you less.
What does perfect love mean? "Complete". Teleios in the Greek: complete, to reach its goal.
Look at John 4:18: "perfect love casts out fear." When we are in a state of fear, we are not letting God's love accomplish its goal in us. Perfect love refers to a love which is mature, not hampered by insecurity or anxiety (which is characteristic of immature love).
We are not yet mature in how we allow God to love us, as long as we are fraught with insecurity and anxiety. It is the outgrowth of unbelief and rooted in pride.
Nothing can separate us from God's perfect love. This is our second statement of confession. It's pretty much self-explanatory. Read Romans 8:38-39.
We sit in the seat of "joy" because:
- God rejoices over us - literally means dances, skips, leaps, spins around in joy
- He sings over us
"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take great delight in you with gladness. with His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." - Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
Let us continue to Love Well......
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