Love Without Stopping

Be on guard. 

Stand true to the Lord. 

Give it all you've got. 

Be resolute. 

And love without stopping.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I read these verses and feel like 

I have never read them before.

Obviously, they are not new.

But the Lord spoke to me through them,

and so those words have come alive.

I have been impacted by both their simplicity and power.

I am commanded to be watchful, to keep my eyes open, 

remembering to "go up" 

whenever conflicted in my perspective.

I am commanded to stand true to the Lord, 

to get to know Him more and more,

that I might stay true to Him all day long.

I am commanded to give it all I've got, 

my whole heart surrendered to the Lord--

motivated by my desire to love Him and please Him--

trusting that every impossible circumstance is possible.

I am commanded to be resolute, strong in His strength-- 

willing to confront my weakness and exchange it--

without flinching at how miserably I can fail.

I know that courage and humility must stand together,

ever increasing in the deepest part of my being.

I am commanded to love without stopping.

It must be growing and active,

more alive because His life is more alive in me.

This chapter ends with:

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

His grace. His power. 

His life.

My absolute nothingness.

Not only a beautiful exchange.

but a requisite one.

Jesus, Your grace is the air I breathe.