KepThoughts (4 of 8): Love Others Big Time!

Hey KepTalk Family,

We're halfway through the month - time is moving too fast! I hope you've been enjoying my series on God's love. The reason I decided to spend the month of February on God's love was because of a simple but powerful conversation I had with someone very special to me last year. I was in a season of my life where I felt very misunderstood and isolated. I just was not feeling the love I thought I deserved from certain people and could not understand why. I had made the decision to really cut a few folks completely off - like I see you but I don't really see you. I'm sure some of you can relate with this type of decision or maybe it's just me that's ever felt this way. Hopefully, you can relate!

I was so sure my love bank account was empty (completely broke!) but it wasn't until I voiced how I felt to a good friend when God started working on my heart. It was as if I needed to speak my mind out loud in order for me to hear myself and know the barrier I was about to put up was not the answer.

With a whole lot of time, I was able to understand that when I'm filled with God's love I can unlock new levels of insight, strength, and compassion. His love empowers me to navigate challenges with resilience, conquer my fears, extend forgiveness effortlessly, promote peace, rediscover my inner strength, and impact others in profound and unexpected ways, often surprising even myself (and trust me, I've been very surprised!!!). His love has no barriers - especially the one I was ready to put up. Now getting to this point has not been easy but it truly has been worth it. Am I still growing and learning? Yes! But my heart is definitely lighter.

Let's dive into today's timely KepThought which is from—1 John 4:11. This passage in the Bible is a guide telling us to love others a lot because God has showered us with a ton of love. This command to spread love is inspired by the huge love God has poured into our lives.

Think about where love comes from. The verse says, "God really loves us..."—that's like saying there's this endless ocean of love from God. This ocean can never dry up. Once you grasp the depth of God's love for you, your heart overflows with a love that can be shared generously with others.

Now, this isn't just a suggestion to be nice. It's actually a call to action! God's like, "Hey daughter/son, share the love I gave you." It's not about just feeling warm and fuzzy inside; it's about doing things that show love to the people around you. The more you truly love others, the more it shows how much God's love is present in your heart.

I want you to imagine your heart is a Stanley cup filled to the tippy-top with God's love. Now, loving others is like tipping that Stanley cup over and letting the love spill out everywhere. It's not meant to be kept all to yourself—it's meant to flow out and make a difference in the lives of those you know.

God's love for us isn't picky. It doesn't say, "I'll love you only if you're perfect." Nope! And guess what? The command to love others is the same deal. It's a challenge to love everyone, even if they're not always easy to love. I'm sure you can list three people in five seconds that fall in this category. I know I can (even with my heart feeling lighter haha) but it's about being kind, compassionate and understanding, just like God is with us.

Today, take some time to think of ways to show love in your everyday life. It could be doing something nice for a friend or family member, saying encouraging words, or being there for someone who needs a shoulder to lean on. Let your actions and words be like a big, colorful sign that says, "God's love is here!"

Hey God, thanks for loving me so much! Help me understand Your love better, and show me how to love others the way You love me. May my actions and words always exemplify Your BIG LOVE. Amen.

As you go about your day, spread love. Keep in mind, the love of God is a precious treasure within you, and by sharing it, you make the world a better place. So go on, love others BIG TIME!

And, Happy Valentine's Day to my better half - I love you Tobi, always.

The Babajide's

Love you all BIG,

Keps