What’s Love Got To Do With It?
As persons in Recovery, we know the guilt and shame that we have felt because of our behaviors and actions to maintain our addictions. What does the Bible have to say about God’s Love, Grace & Mercy? For Valentine Day’s we give to ourselves the gift of God’s Love
To start with, let’s read some scriptures on Love:
The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] 1 John 4:8
Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. 1 Peter 4:8
We love because he first loved us 1 John 4:9
But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans5:8
The Love Poem of The Bible
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. 5 It is not rude; it is not self-seeking; it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
It is not possible to truly love someone without showing them grace. When it comes to God, he shows favor because he loves God’s grace means that even though you have lied, stolen, cheated, and hurt others because you were more focused on your addiction than others, God still loves you. Even if you relapse, God will still love you. It means God is not going to punish you by allowing you to stay in addiction any longer than require
While this scripture does not use the word “mercy,” John 3:16-17 explains God’s mercy toward us: “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him
Mercy can be defined as to have compassion for someone who should be punished or could be treated harshly. It means showing undeserved forgiveness or kindness. Mercy is given by a person in authority, who is also often the one who has been wronged. To show mercy is to offer relief to someone in a desperate state.
What does Love Have To Do With It? EVERYTHING!
All Scriptures are from The Amplified Bible (AMP)