Love does not begin with us, but with God.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   How would YOU finish this sentence? God is … what? When you think of God, what IS He to you? How would you describe Him? If you look up the attributes of God, you’ll find many ways to describe Him. He is holy. He is faithful. He is righteous, patient and good. Throughout every page of scripture we see God. His nature, His character and His ways are on full display. As we read His word, who He IS, is revealed. No matter how you see God or what you think He is or is not, the word most used to describe Him is LOVE because God IS love. He is where love begins and love is where our story begins in creation. Love made a way through Jesus and love is the promise of what’s to come. Love is the motivator. Love is the common denominator. God SO loved, because He IS love. 1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s nature is love and the nature of those who are IN Christ, who love God, will love like God. This is the love the body of Christ should be known for. It’s not an ordinary, thrown around, cheap love, it’s holy, unconditional, passionate and sacrificial. It’s deep and once you abide IN it, you can never be separated from it. If you’ve never received it, it’s running after you today. I said YES to the love of God when I was eight years old. I grew up hearing that God loved me. My parents loved me and pointed me to the love of God. I accepted it and I believed IN it. Fast forward ten years. My freshman year in college, I found myself IN love. I had been in LIKE, before, but not in LOVE. This was different. My heart got involved, but I was afraid. Broken chapters of my story and the pain of life led me to not FULLY trust God with my heart. So when I came face to face in college with someone who loved me and wanted all of my heart, I came to a bit of a crisis of belief. Giving my heart fully to someone, meant I must choose to trust God with it first. I had to trust that no matter what, He is good, He loves me and He is the keeper of my heart. As I surrendered my whole heart to God, His perfect love began to drive out my fear. That step of obedience and surrender is how my love story began. I let go and trusted God with my story. This month that is my focus, my love story. This month, thirty years ago, I said, ‘I do’. It’s a beautiful story, not perfect, but covered by God’s love, goodness and grace and it’s been a great adventure. So I thought I’d share a bit of that adventure, and a little of what I’ve learned about love and marriage along the way. I hope you’ll join me. The thing about love is, it doesn’t begin with you or me. LOVE’s origin is in God alone. It’s His story. Our love stories are all a part of one big love story. LOVE began with God. We love because He FIRST loved us. (1 John 4:19) The God who IS love, created us out of love, to be loved. When you receive that love, rest IN it and trust it, then you can give it away. That’s the truth. Join me all this month at lifeword.org as I share more of how God has loved me through my love story. It’s over thirty years in the making and I can tell you this, it still requires daily surrendering to the one who loves me most. I’m Lori Cline.