If able, I encourage you to listen to the song “How He Loves” by David Crowder Band while you read this.
How can you tell if what you are thinking/feeling is from God? Use LOVE as your filter.
God LOVES us. God IS love. We don’t always see ourselves through the eyes of God’s love. I’ve come to realize the root of our struggles is not fully realizing or understanding God’s love for us.
What is love? 1 Corinthians 13 tells us love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and never fails.
I’ve always viewed 1 Cor. 13 as a guidepost for how to love others, and it should be, but it didn’t always extend to how I believe God sees me. When I look at my thoughts through the lens of love, I can determine if it is coming from God, who is love. God is love, and God loves us. This gives us a filter to use for our own thoughts and struggles.
If love always trusts and never fails, when I try to take control of things due to feeling anxious, or make decisions from fear rather than faith, this is not love. The fearful feelings or anxious thoughts are not coming from God. Love also keeps no record of wrongs. When I struggle with insecurity or feeling unworthy, I am often “keeping a record of wrongs” on myself. I believe others are keeping this same condemning record. God is love and therefore keeps no record of my wrongs. These condemning feelings are not from God and keep me from stepping out in faith. Love is patient and kind. When I put too much pressure on myself, I am not being patient or kind to myself. When I was younger and struggled with disordered eating, I was not treating my body with kindness. These thoughts were not from God, because God is love and is therefore patient and kind to me.
When I choose love, I am able to make decisions out of faith/trust rather than fear. When I choose love, I can step out in faith and know God is working through me, rather than keep an ongoing record of my perceived wrongs/all the reasons I don’t measure up. When I choose love, I can be patient and kind with myself, just as I would be with someone I love, rather than put insane pressure on myself to perform a certain way. Choosing love and choosing to see myself as God sees me helped set me free from disordered eating. God’s love brings freedom from bondage.
The next time you are struggling with your thoughts/feelings, and wondering if it is from God, ask yourself “is this love?”. God LOVES us. God IS love. Anything that isn’t love is not coming from Him.
Follow me on social media:
Leave a Reply