Tuesday #2 Devotion

I John 4:7--Beloved, let us love one another; for Love is
of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and
knoweth God.

Loving our family shouldn't be hard to do. It should really be the easiest
thing in the world for us to do. This is the man that we chose. These are the
children we were given. This is the life we greatly contributed to having. These
are the people with whom we will walk every major milestone of our lives. They
are the ones who will see us at our best and still love us at our worst. They
know what we look like without makeup. They know not to mess with us before
our morning coffee. They have seen us in our "fat clothes." They have even seen
our snotty noses and smelled our morning breath.They know the real us. They
have the inside track on who we really are.

It is the perfect practice ground for walking in love. This is the place where the
love walk should be perfected. The world will take us at face value and judge us
without really knowing us. Our families will not. They know us and they know when
we are being real. So, we should use these opportunities of our everyday family to
show the love nature of God before the ones that we love. We should make extra
effort to be on our best love behavior in the presence of our household.

It is extremely easy to let our love for our spouse and children fade and irritation,
bitterness, and weariness rise. But God has given us a well of love and patience
from which to draw. When we resist the temptation to become insensitive with our
family, we will become stronger. In turn, our households will become stronger. Our
marriages will blossom. Our children will treat each other more kindly. And our home
will show signs of people within who are truly enjoying their journeys.

It is Mom that can make this happen the quickest. She has the most opportunity to
show a nature that is contrary to loveliness. That is why we must draw daily, even
minutely, upon the love that God so lavishly and willingly provides when we simply
ask Him for it. We must take time out of every day and remind ourselves of the great
Love with which our God loves us. And we must ask Him for the strength and equipment
necessary to truly love our family. He will give it to us liberally. It is His desire for our
homes to be bonded and abounding in His type of love for each other.

So, remind yourself of how much He loves you and take part of the reservoirs of that love
which He desires to pour into your heart. Search your heart and memory and remind
yourself how much you truly love you family and the moments of the days that make
up the journeys of your household. Let love guide your actions, guard your words, and
give flight to your devotion to your household and its members.

Confession: I love my family. I love being Mom to my children. I love
being a wife to my husband. I love conducting the details of my
household. I am well able to show love in all moments of my day.
I will not forget to truly love my family today.