Sunday, February 5, 2012

Healing 5 - Love Doesn't Hurt

         I saw a billboard the other day that read, "Nothing says 'I love you ' like a busted lip." Love shouldn't hurt. The love between husbands and wives ought to be a Christ-centered, unbreakable bond that is free from fear.  
         The love of a father for his child should also be special. My earthly father was precious. Although he was a man of few words, we knew the love he had for us. I can vividly recall how his gentle and caring ways encouraged me and carried me through some not-so-pretty times when I was in college. I lived at home during those years, and he and my mom got to see more than they wanted of my sorority escapades.                                                                                                      
      Even so, they never rejected me. They never resorted to teaching me a lesson by depriving me of food, shelter or clothing. They never abused me or stopped providing for my education---they never stopped loving me.
    Although I was very secure in my earthly father's love for me, I have discovered a much greater love--the love of our Heavenly Father. Jesus displayed the highest form of love when He laid down His life for us. 
     So, if He loved us enough to sacrifice His life, then why would He put sickness on us?  And if He doesn't use sickness to teach us, then how do we learn? He teaches us through His Word and the Holy Spirit.
       To the husband and his wife.....love shouldn't hurt. To the parent and his child.....love shouldn't hurt, and with the loving, merciful heavenly Father we have, love doesn't hurt. He only gives us good things!
       


To Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior:
(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan has no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me.  John 3:16