i want God to make me loving. genuinely loving from the heart. i want to be selfless towards others. and i pray to one day be in a loving relationship. i pray the Lord gives me faith to believe He wants this for me too. right now, I am satisfied in Him, but I feel as though I haven't been loving others as I want to, or as I should. I feel closed off to others.
Well, God’s going to do that. :D Just keep up with the desire. I believe LOVE is the way to success in this world. The members in your family – look at them as tests God sent you. How you treat them and your closest friends will be how you treat your significant other in the future. This is still a lesson for me but it is such a good lesson.
I believe the LORD really pays attention to the desires of the righteous, so longing is key because when you pray out of lack, poverty, and desperation, He rewards the faithful to their heart’s content….sooner or later, it is always in His time. Don’t forget, that longing is key. So try your best not to look at your longing and desperation as a bad thing. With your lack of selflessness, offer it completely to the LORD whenever you are reminded of your longing to change. He wants your humility. But there may come times that you forget about this longing, so in the process of realizing you are not happy, whenever it occurs, use your longing/desire for selflessness to humble yourself all over again. Practice this and also don’t forget to pray for others. Praying for the health and welfare of people seriously transforms your mind to treat those very people and even others with compassion. I’m genuinely excited for you because learning how to be selfless is the biggest lesson in my life. I can totally relate. You’re on the right path and I’m praying for you!
Here are 2 previous answers I have on selflessness:
http://godfirstgodalways.tumblr.com/post/177504622941/if-i-pray-for-god-to-make-me-more-loving-towards
http://godfirstgodalways.tumblr.com/post/172668496896/hi-sheela-i-am-struggling-with-pride
Also check out my free Journal Prompts on Loving God, Loving Others, & Loving Yourself:
https://sheelaleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/JournalPrompts-Love.pdf
Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Romans 12:3-13 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
By His Grace, Sheela (Via godfirstgodalways)
