Expectations of love

​Good morning, we are so blessed. Do we think about the love shown to us but forget the value of it? We do not appreciate or understand the love shown toward us. We even reject love because it is not given in the way or following our expectations. Like our example of Delilah yesterday, since we have never been taught, we struggle with receiving love. We don’t understand the value, and yet we will sell or trade it for a counterfeit. 
 
To understand that love, we are given an example, Ephesians 5:25 KJ2000 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Husbands are given a high standard of loving their wives like Christ loved the church. This illustrates the sacrifice and the responsibility and teaches us how to love properly. 
 
Now let’s broaden that example of love and not only apply it to husbands, but also to those we come into contact with on a day-to-day basis. Have you ever thought that someone does not love you or, better yet, does not show you the love how you expect? We all see things through our own eyes and yet God's love is not always in keeping with our expectations. 
 
Let’s use another illustration of a person who has never driven a car and is therefore not licensed to drive. We request this individual to pick us up, knowing that that person is not capable of driving. That individual gets behind the wheel and because of not being taught goes in the wrong direction into oncoming traffic. The expectation we had was that the person would safely make it to our destination. The results were, as we say, an accident waiting to happen. Because the way we wanted things did not happen, we put the individual in danger because of wanting things our way. That individual was not capable of meeting the task at hand. The driver was not legally able to drive and so there are those who are not legally able to love in accordance with current circumstances because of lack of teaching. 
 
How does that apply personally? Sometimes no matter how much we try, we cannot love certain individuals to their expectations, but we must understand the true standard set for love and not the thoughts of others. When you show love and there is a burden and no joy, then you lose the motivation to love. Consider this and then the challenge. Hebrews 12:2 KJ2000 “Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” 
 
The standard for showing love as stated in Ephesians was to love as Christ loved. The Hebrew writer further states, “for the joy set before him endured.” Joy and endurance seem to be key. Because the standard-setter understood the results, with joy, he faced the obstacle presented before him. Remember, although he endured, he also stated if it is possible, let this cup pass. Yet even knowing the outcome with joy continued on the path of loving the church. 
 
The challenge today is to see the hope in your labor of love and look to the perfecter. To endure the season, you are presently experiencing because there is redemption in it. Can we not think about how we are being loved and realize the sacrifice by others? We are not always the easiest individuals to be satisfied in this area, and we give up because it is difficult. Stay on the path as God is teaching you, so is He teaching others that we may end this journey together in joy. God bless you, my beloved.