LOVE

and AFFECTION

Ever since I could remember being a very young boy, as young as elementary-middle school, I have always been a sucker for love. Due to my rough childhood, along side with having a successful career, finding true love was also a big factor that I was striving for. Dealing with dysfunctional family and friends and their ways of "love" didn't sit well with me at all so I always sought for it via romance. From the puppy love and crushing on so many people to having what I thought to believe a "first love" encounter in high school (which was not your average high school sweetheart experience...total opposite). A year after high school, Into my college years, I was in a crazy narcissistic on/off love affair with someone who I was madly in love with for almost two years. I also ended up mingling with quite a few individuals in between the off times with the love of my life and once I finally called it quits with that person for good, I then found myself falling in love with someone who I was in a professional corporate workplace with for a duration of almost a year which didn't work out due to the environment and both of us being hurt in the past and from us trying to control and manipulate each other...From all the times of mingling and getting to know people, I ended up fornicating with a couple of them. I wasn't ever that big on sexual relations unless a mutual bond is there; in fact I've practiced abstinence more than fornication but during this time, I was trying to do whatever to get over the love of my life and my thought process through it all was that maybe if I gave myself up, then they'd "fall in love". The couple of individuals who I were dealing with at the time would not leave me alone. They blew my phone up wanting to be with me all the time along with the many of people who were attempting to be with me who I never gave a chance. I felt flattered becuase I thought that the peoples' desire to have me equated to their 'love' for me. I started to become an attention seeker which led to me dressing more provocative and being more in tune with my sexuality. I was so confused but yet I loved that type of attention that I was getting from all types of different people both in real life, and on the social media life.  I was extremely vulnerable and I thought it was love, not even knowing what true love was, it was all just lust and fascination.

I was so lost and shattered hearted but ever since JESUS called on me and I started my walk with Christ, he has restored me greatly! Getting to know JESUS, I've started to become so magnified by him because he is all about love and he's always been about love. He saved me during a time where I was very haughty and prideful, I time where I was dabbling in a plethora of different abominations and iniquities. A time where I was into the witchcraft. A time where holiness and obedience was never on my mind but rather rebelliousness and self pleasure. A time where I only cared about me, myself and I. He saved my life and prevented me from going down the path that I was headed towards. As soon as I called upon his name, he was RIGHT THERE! "We love him, because he loved us first." ~1John 4:19 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." ~Isaiah 41:10 "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." ~Zephaniah 3:17

God loves us more than we can really imagine. He loves us more than we love ourselves! I thank him so much for seperating me from all of the chaos and from the individuals who didn't have my best interest at heart. The ones who didn't truly love me but rather loved things about me and who were an obstacle and stumbling block to my well being. I've realized that the "crazy in love" dramatic dilemmas that I were in wasn't true love. When God poured out his true love towards me, it definitely outweighed any type of love that I've experienced on a romantic level, family and friend level and any supporter level all put together. It's so overwhelming because God's love is so magnificent; I'm not even deserving of it, especially the way I was living prior to Christ but yet he still loves! I'm so grateful and give all the glory to him. Not only that but he loves us so much that he sacrificed himself for the whole world, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." ~John 3:16-17...Also, he loves us so much that though he enters our lives during a derranged state, he definitely doesn't leave us there. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." ~Jeremiah 29:11

The Lord has shown so much love; TRUE LOVE towards me and so many other saints. That's all he was, that's all he is, that's all he'll ever be. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." ~Hebrews 13:8...Just as he displayed and still displays his love towards us, he commands us to do the same in all ways. Our 2 gratest commands are to love God and love your neighbour. "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two greatest commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'" ~Matthew 22:37-40. We must also love our enemies, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" ~Matthew 5:44 "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." ~Luke 6:28 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the thankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." ~Luke 6:35-36..The saying "Treat other the way you want to be treated." and "Killing with kindness" all stems from the word of God and the commandments. Jesus did so flawlessly! "And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." ~Luke 23:33-34...If you have brothers and sisters that you are connected to in Christ then you must love them as well. Becuase your spiritual family is much more important than physical if the physical isn't walking in the way of Christ. "Be kindly effectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" ~Romans 12:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." ~1Corinthians 1:10 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." ~1John 4:20-21...Most importantly, if you're married then you MUST absolutely love your spouse, as it is very important to do so being that two flesh become one. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shal a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." ~Ephesians 5:22-33

God still shows his loves not only to the saints but even to the wordly ones as well. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." ~2Peter 3:9. He loves all of humanity so much that he's patiently waiting, for us all to REPENT. He doesn't want any to perish but at the same time he isn't going to force us against our will. He gives us free to will to do ours or to give up ours and do his will. Ultimately it's our choice. If you are tired of the heartache and heartbreak just like I was, then the best option is to simply rest in Christ. It is not too late while you're still living and breathing. I can attest that as God showers his love on me, my self respect and the love for myself and others have greatly increased all because of Christ. I give glory and honor to him indeed. God is LOVE; Love that nobody else can display except for him. Rest in Christ and experience the love that he is waiting and wishing to bring to you. You won't regret it.

-----for biblical truth and edification visit dontperish.com