Three Ways to Become Love [and love like the Father]

The world can never (nor ever will) be perfect, but we can seek perfection in Christ’s love. In Jesus, “the fullness of God dwells.” Herein, lies our life’s mission; to be so full of God’s unfathomable love, we are compelled to love [increasingly] more perfect. We are called to become the Father’s love, y’all. 

Here are three ways that we become the Father’s love. 

1. Through [Our] Grief.

“You’ll never be a winner of souls, unless you’re first a weeper of souls.”  – Charles Spurgeon

Grief asks us to see with accuracy the “immense waywardness” of our world (greed, lust, violence, anger bitterness). And then invites us to not only allow the sins of the world to pierce our hearts, but to shed countless tears in exchange for its salvation. Without tears, the Father’s “love cannot bloom.”

“Those who go out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:6).

2 .Through [Perpetual] Forgiveness.

“To forgive is a voluntary suffering. In forgive, you make a choice to bear the cost.” – Timothy Keller

Practicing divine love requires us to step over our wounded parts and choose to forgive—bearing the cost. This takes a lot of healing and spiritual maturity on our part. Be gentle with yourself as you sojourn this unrelenting path.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

3 Through Self-Emptying, Generous Love.

“Generosity is the mark of every true disciple.” – Henri Nouwen*

The Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son gives “his very self to [both] his children.” The Father gives all, expecting nothing in return. So, must we as maturing believers and Christ-followers empty ourselves of demand and condemnation.

In his book, The Return of The Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen suggests that all of us are both the younger son and the elder son, but we are called to becomethe Father. Spiritual maturity is where true freedom lies. Claiming our spiritual fatherhood challenges us to approach a fallen, imperfect world with the “fruitful emptiness” of self-emptying, unfathomable love.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were sinners, christ died for us” (1 John 4:9).

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).

How will you answer the call to become the Father’s love to a world in desperate need of a Savior? 💕

Accept the challenge to love with the perfect[ing] love of the Father and download your free mini-devo, How to Love in an Unlovable World, by tapping the link. 

Reading The Return of The Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen forever changed my interpretation of this parable. It is a book I’ll recommend moving forward to all those seeking perfection in the Father’s love. Visit my Amazon page, for purchase info. 

*All quotes when unspecified are notated to Nouwen