Beautiful Things- Selfless Love

Today, I am in awe of the love that I wake up to every day. It's a love that has rocked my world and overwhelmed my soul. It's a love that overflows in every fiber of my being. It's selfless, forgiving, and beautiful...but it's not my husband's love I'm referring to... 

It's the love that came from the cross of Jesus Christ.

This same love that broke and changed our world...This love is utterly breaking and changing me.  Every ounce of it is filling me up with its goodness, while revealing the ugliness of my own selfish love- and it couldn't be more beautiful....

I began reading What did you Expect, by Paul David Tripp, around the end of October (yes, I take FOREVER to read through a book...I have around 3 going at one time!) and it has transformed my life- not because of reading 25 hip, new ideas, that I could do to make my marriage "better," but, because Tripp explained the truth of the gospel, and the TRUTH of the gospel transformed my life and is redeeming my relationships! 

Everything he said took me directly back to the raw love that the gospel gives. The gospel sets the stage and defines what real love is. Tripp says, "You get your best definition of love from an event, the most important event in human history. You get your best definition of love from the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's sacrifice of love is the ultimate definition of what love is and what does." 

I'm learning to choose this "crusiform" love every day. I'm learning to choose to love my hubby (& everyone really!) with a selfless love that does not seek self-righteousness or reciprocation. I'm learning to love with Christ's love! Tripp describes this love in chapter 12 like this: 

"Love serves and gives. Love is not complaining or demanding. Love is being willing to sacrifice what you want in order to give your spouse what he or she needs. Love is never deceitful or manipulative in the pursuit of self-interest, because true love is other-centered and other-motivated." 

That isn't an easy love, but it's a true love. 

Because of this love, I am free to selflessly love my husband (and my little pup!)! He is free to selflessly love me- all because Christ's love has already redeemed us! His love insures that we will be taken care of- even when we fail each other! I'm grateful beyond words that my hubby understood this before me- I am loved by him. And I can't express the joy of getting to grow old with that hunk ;) 
  

I'm beyond thankful that my eyes and heart have been opened to true love. I'm still learning...and I will never love perfectly, but I want to truly love and choose thousands of little moments every day to serve selflessly! 

My heart aches for every marriage and relationship in this world. I yearn for them to be transformed and redeemed by this love! God WANTS to show us this love...he wants to heal and restore these relationships, but it begins with you. I beg you (single, in-a-relationship, engaged, married, married for 20+ years)- please, please, PLEASE order this book...give it to a friend...open your heart to the gospel...allow your life and relationships to be changed. 

Love with the love of the cross.  This is a beautiful thing...

[And take a listen to Sojourn Chattanooga's new sermon series on relationships! Such perfect timing. I love being a part of a community that cares about dealing with the hard messy stuff that life brings- all while being gospel-centered!]