What's Love Got to Do with it?

     On Valentine's Day, Greg and I would throw out a random line of a love song.  The other would have to see if they could sing the rest of the song with its tune (our own rendition of Karaoke.)  We spent much of the day laughing at ourselves and each other.  Do you remember the song, "What's Love got to do with it?"

Luke 6: 32 - 33 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners love those who love them.  If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do that.”HCSB

Recently, the Lord has been convicting me about these verses.  I have been asking myself, “Why do I do what I do?” For example: if a neighbor asks me to pick up their child from school and bring her home, and I do.  Does that show love?  Consider, if the person who asks me lives down the street and the school is the same school my child attends.  Really, it’s no big deal, right?

Compare that with: Someone asks me to pick up their child and take them home.  They attend a different school than my child and doesn’t live in the same direction I’m driving.  I do this.  Which situation shows the greatest love?

The bigger question I am asking is, not who am I showing greater love to but who am I showing CHRIST’S LOVE to?

In filtering this most recent conviction, I reflect on my parents.  They are the first to say, "no problem." I can remember many examples throughout my life of them offering to help, offering to love others when it seems just too sacrificial.  My parents, were enjoying their temporary "empty nest" when a coworker publically admitted her own personal addictions and struggles.  My parents brought her three school aged children to live with them. My parents weren't told when or if their parents would return.  My parents loved on these three. They bought them clothes, took them to school, made lunches, played ball in the yard with them, told them bedtime stories and prayed with them as they kissed them goodnight.

As Moms the question isn’t do we love our children.  We do!  The question is, “Are we showing them Christ’s love?”  I have been deliberate in recent days, recognizing when my human spirit balks at our children’s behavior.  At these times I find myself calling on His Spirit within me to share Christ’s love as my response. 

"What's Love Got to do with it?" Christ's love is sacrificial, its  perfect.  Let’s share His love with our children and others God may bring into our paths!