[janbear]

Recovery Principle Devotional

We may have given up on love. Perhaps we have waited for love to find us, only to be disappointed. Maybe our loved ones have hurt us so badly that we needed to numb ourselves from the pain. In the past our addictions help to keep us numb, but now that we are in recovery, we have to find ways to deal with the issue of love once again.
It is God's will that we love others; without love nothing else matters (l Corinthians 13:1-3) Love is more than a feeling; it is choosing to behave in loving ways. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit produced in our lives as we yield to God. The Bible defines it this way: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude....Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,and endures through every circumstance "
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
This passage is a description of how God loves us. As we begin to absorb his love, we will find ourselves reaching out to love others. No one loves perfectly, but we must learn how to love. We can ask God to help us love others and stop waiting for them to love us. We cannot expect to be good at loving right away, we should be patient as Gods love grows within us and he teaches us how to love. When we choose to act in loving ways, the emotions will follow, and we will find that our love will be returned.