More divorces, wars and conflict have been caused by a misunderstanding of our Grace-Full Christmas Present #20 than by all other factors combined in the history of the world! How can I say that so boldly? Because this Present is “Love Lessons” from The God Who Is Love!
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”’ – Matthew 2:13
One gospel records the visit to the temple of the 8 day old Jesus and then the return to Nazareth but another records Joseph hot footing it for Egypt which brings me to the point of our first Love lesson:
- The Only Specific that matters is LOVE!
One gospel, Luke, records the Shepherds with no gifts coming straight from the field where they were probably without a way to bathe or to clean up which brings me to our second Love lesson:
- Love wants you to come as you are – Not change to be accepted by it!
Everyone involved with the Christmas story went through a stage of fear and in some cases absolute panic – only those who sought imperfect love stayed in fear and panic – our third Love lesson:
- Perfect Love drives out All fear – this is how to know the teacher or preacher is from God!
The first time that many heard the Voice of Love it took an appearance by an angel or even “a heavenly host” to get the message through but that changed the more they listened – our forth Love lesson:
- Listening to Love takes practice but it gets clearer every time!
Most of the major characters in the Christmas story broke at least one law so that Christ could be born and some broke several – our fifth Love lesson:
- Love will often work outside social norms or constraints of laws!
The voice of Love is never a shout and never in panic mode because The Voice of Love is the Voice of God. As a result many people to include the mother of Jesus often stop listening to it for a time. In fact at one point Mary tried to have her Son committed as crazy – our sixth Love lesson:
- Love doesn’t hang on to “shoulds” or earthly “values” – Love grows as we continue to listen!
Christ was not born in a comfortable, clean and safe place with attendants who were kind and caring – our seventh Love lesson:
- Love isn’t always what we think it “should” be, where we think it “should” be or how we think it “should” be!
My prayer for this Christmas and the New Year ahead is that BeGraceFull.com and the devotionals and videos and sharing that is on there would be not only a blessing to you but that through what I share there and when I speak that people might come to a greater awareness of three simple words: GOD IS LOVE! And that from those three simple yet complex words we might all grow in the moment to moment awareness 8 more words: GOD RADICALLY LOVES YOU and GOD RADICALLY LOVES ME!
