Cadybunch Cottage

Fill Your Life with Beauty and Truth

  • Home
  • Online Bible Study
  • Cadybunch Cottage
  • Speaking & Writing
  • About

Learning to Walk in Love

21Jan | 2018

posted by susan cady

Life is hard. Relationships are messy. How do we love one another and extend grace when we just don’t feel like it, or when it seems impossible given the current situation we are facing? How do we walk in love?

In reading through Ephesians 4:1-5:21, we find some answers as we look at two repeated words in this passage.

…continue reading

Filed Under: Walk in Love Study Tagged With: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, community, Ephesians 4:1-5:21, John 14;26, love one another, loving others, Romans 15:4-5, walk in love

Tis the Season Week 1: Heart Attitudes

28Nov | 2016

posted by susan cady Leave a Comment

Thanks for joining us for ‘Tis the Season as we seek to prepare our hearts and homes for a Christ-centered Christmas. Our guiding verses for this study are Psalm 86:11-13:

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Today we will examine the heart attitude of one who seeks to know God’s ways and walk in His truth.

If you have not already done so, please download the free e-book study guide that accompanies each week’s lesson. Now, let’s get into the Word!…continue reading

Filed Under: Online Bible Study, Tis the Season Christmas Study Tagged With: advent, hearing hearts, heeding hearts, humble hearts, loving others, preparing our homes for Christmas, Psalm 86:11, Tis the season, trusting God in difficult times

Love Unconditionally

6Nov | 2013

posted by susan cady Leave a Comment

Beauty & Truth

Love Unconditionally

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. 1 John 4:7

 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

 

In the midst of Lori’s experience with Blair’s illness and their lives being turned upside down, she asked the Lord, “What does it mean for me to really LIVE?” The Lord gave Lori three statements: embrace beauty, walk without fear and love unconditionally.  This week we look at what it means to love unconditionally regardless of our circumstances and how others treat us.

 

Why did God tell me that loving unconditionally would be something I needed to do in order to “really live?”  This is what I have learned:

      Love unconditionally because that’s how I [The Lord] love.

      Love unconditionally because that’s what My children desperately need in order to live whole and productive lives. 

      Love unconditionally because loving others freely and without strings attached will set you free.

—Lori Fink

 

Loving unconditionally does not come naturally.  Our flesh rails against it. It requires some effort, diligence and forethought. But the good news is God does not leave us to ourselves in our efforts to love unconditionally.

 

First and foremost, the motivation and help is found in the word “beloved” in verse one of Ephesians. As a Christ- follower, I am the beloved of the Father. He provides all that is needed to love others unconditionally because God IS love. Love is central to God’s character.  His love for us is unfailing and not dependent upon anything we have done, are doing or will ever do.

 

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 36:5

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. 1 John 4:7

 

In Scripture God’s unfailing love is known as His “hesed”, a Hebrew word meaning, to be faithful and merciful; love; goodness; an act of kindness shown towards someone.  The quality of the kindness shown is usually like that reserved for close family or friends.  “Hesed” implies personal involvement and it is covenantal with those God has chosen and redeemed.  It implies reciprocity but since God’s “hesed” is ultimately beyond the covenant, it will not be abandoned even when the human partner is unfaithful.  God’s “hesed” is everlasting (Isaiah 54:8).  “Hesed”, unfailing love, is often found and paired with instances of God’s strength and steadfastness in Scripture.

 

Secondly, we have been given the example of Christ to imitate and the gift of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to instruct us.

 God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5b

 

It is only as God’s Spirit floods our hearts with love that we, in turn, can love one another.

The Spirit of God makes the commandment “love one another” into a new and exciting day-by-day experience.  It is a matter of the will rather than an emotion—an affection for and attraction to certain persons. It is a matter of determining—of making up your mind—that you will allow God’s love to reach others through you, and then of acting toward them in loving ways.

 

 The question I have to continually ask and answer is:  

How will the fact that I am beloved by the Father motivate my reaction in this moment?

 

Here are just a few reminders of reality of being beloved of the Father:

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9

 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

 

And these barely scratch the surface of the depth, breadth, length and height of His love!  His Word is resplendent with so many more examples of His love for us.

 

Finally, when we love unconditionally it is a practical thing; it applies in the everyday affairs of life. Just consider some of the “one another” statements in the New Testament and you will see how practical it is to love one another.

Bear with one another. Ephesians 4:2

Build one another up. Ephesians 4:7-16

Be kind to one another and forgive one another. Ephesians 4:32

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16

Encourage and build one another up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11-15

Bear one another’s burdens. Galatians 6:2

Teach and admonish one another. Colossians 3:16

Show hospitality to one another. 1 Peter 4:9

Serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

Pray for one another. James 5:16

Seek to do good to one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Love one another earnestly. 1 Peter 4:8

 

If you’d like to study these “one anothers” in greater depth, click here to find a previous series titled Walking in Love.

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God!

 

Susan & Lori Signature

Filed Under: Beauty & Truth Devotional Tagged With: 1 John 4:7, Ephesians 5:1-2, God's love, love one another, love unconditionally, loving others

About Susan

Search

Subscribe to the blog!

Stay Connected

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Goodreads Instagram Google+

Categories

  • All Things Home
  • Awakened by Grace
  • Beauty & Truth Devotional
  • Finding Freedom from Fear Devotional
  • Get Real! Study
  • His Name Is…Christmas Devotional
  • Lessons Learned
  • Main Blog
  • Online Bible Study
  • Prayers of Paul Study
  • Selah Moments
  • Summer SOAK Devotional
  • Tis the Season Christmas Study
  • Walk in Love Study

What I’m Currently Reading

Susan's currently reading...

Things Unseen: Living in Light of Forever
0 of 5 stars
Things Unseen: Living in Light of Forever
by Mark Buchanan
tagged: currently-reading
10 Lies About God: And the Truths That Shatter Deception
0 of 5 stars
10 Lies About God: And the Truths That Shatter Deception
by Erwin W. Lutzer
tagged: currently-reading
War Brides
0 of 5 stars
War Brides
by Helen Bryan
tagged: currently-reading

goodreads.com

Archives

  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013

One Word 365

Copyright © 2018 | Decorated theme by The Pixelista | Built on the Genesis Framework