A Message from your Leaders

Our ability to love is determined by our ability to have an open heart. When we judge we close part of our heart. We make one thing right and another wrong and respond in conditional ways, reducing our ability to give and receive love. God calls us to “love one another as I have loved you”.

There is temptation to believe things should be different. When we believe a person, thing, or situation should different, we forget God. We deny that God is always shaping us to serve and use our gifts.

There is temptation to blame others. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the other person or situation as the source of our problem. It means we don’t have to fully acknowledge our own role in the situation, or take responsibility for change. We deny the responsibility of having to be more loving.

There is temptation to protect. Sometimes we can feel wrong, inadequate, scared or imperfect. Now, who thrives by feeling that way? So we seek to protect ourselves by avoiding, denying and shutting those feelings down. This closes part of our heart and reduces our ability to love.

There is temptation to seek comfort. Faced with an experience which is physically or emotionally uncomfortable, we can reduce our ability to give and receive more love. Our ability to love only grows when we have been stretched past our comfort zone.

God challenges us to grow our hearts. When challenges arise we can choose to face the challenge, which will expand and strengthen us. Or, we can choose to avoid it, which will shrink and weaken us. We can invite God in or we can squeeze God out by controlling and protecting the situation. Either way we have choices.

God challenges us to shape us. We have each been given specific gifts, passions, experiences and abilities with a purpose in mind. People and situations are then brought into our lives to enable us to fulfil that purpose. God touches our heart with inspirations which direct, motivate and keep us on track for living that purpose. We touch others
through our love via our mission and ministry as individuals, church congregation and community members.

God challenges us to connect us. The more our hearts are filled with love, the more we have to give and receive. Jesus came to teach us about the importance of connecting to God’s unconditional love. When we love unconditionally, we naturally radiate, attract and compel others to know it.

Where is God calling you to open your heart and become more loving?

May we draw inspiration, courage and strength to follow Jesus’ example, to open our hearts fully to the power of God’s love.

Lisa McDonald