Remember the complicated relationship I mentioned last week in “Late-learned Lessons of Life and Death,” and how I was left to ponder how simple it might have been? Well, the same question was triggered by our most recent Sunday morning meeting at the ACTS House.
Yes, relationships can be very complicated for many different reasons. But have you ever noticed how there can be so much focus on the issues that complicate our relationships that we totally miss what might be simple if we just realized it could be?
Take love, for example… that universal need we all have for the connection, safety, acceptance, and understanding that real love provides. Isn’t that what we crave so desperately? Isn’t that what we all need and want from each other… and what we want to give also? And isn’t it the fear of not getting it, or of having our love rejected, that ends up separating us from each other?
Seriously… think about what life would be like if nothing could keep us from loving. If nothing could keep us from “keeping our love on” no matter what is going on in our lives, or how other people behave. We’ll talk more about this in future posts, but for now, take a minute to imagine the freedom and fullness of such a life.
Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? Not complicated at all, really. But can it really be that simple? Is it really possible to simply choose to “keep our love on” and receive from God what we need to stay connected to the people in our lives? What if He really does provide all we need to navigate the difficult situations and relationships of life…and it’s a simple matter of receiving what He’s already allocated to us that will meet our needs, the needs of the other person or people, and the demands of the situation at hand?
Pretty amazing thought, huh? Love tops the list of what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit that is available for every need and situation we face. The rest of the list is awesome, too, but it all starts with love, and it’s there for the taking. It’s allocated and waiting to be put into action by a simple choice…the choice to receive all that we need for ourselves so we don’t have to compete for it, provoke others when we don’t get it, or be jealous of others who seem to have something we don’t. We can all have all the Love we want and need! And when we receive what we need from God, we end up with more than enough to share with others.
How simple is that??? And how awesome to realize that life and relationships can actually be a lot less complicated than we thought!
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, humility, and self-control…” Galatians 5:22
