Eternally learning.

The past few months, I have really enjoyed sitting down with the people I love and asking them a question. 

"What do you think God is trying to teach you right now?"

He is the great teacher. Our entire life is shaped by the lessons from our loving father. I've heard so many things from friends and family. Some lessons are filled with joy and abiding in the Father's goodness. Some lessons are filled with humility and becoming more aware of our weakness. 

So I ask myself this question. What is he trying to teach me? Am I listening? This is what I'm hearing from Jesus right now.

I love you, Nicole. With an everlasting, never-giving up, always, and forever kind of love. Find hope in that. Find purpose in that. Find identity in that. My love for you is boundless. But Nicole, I want to know something. Do you love me for me? Or do you love just how much I love you?

Holy humbling question, Batman.  I want to love Jesus with a love that is rooted and founded in HIS character. In His being. Not just to tap into a flood of love that showers me with love for myself. I think God's character is to love and we should know and hold fast to the truth that He loves us. But friends, let's not stop there! This should cause us to fall on our face at His feet in worship for Jesus and who He is. We should respond with a love for Him because He is who he says He is. Because He is our righteousness. Because He makes us more like Him through a process called sanctification. Because He is just and righteous. Because He is victorious over sin. I pray we would fall in love with Jesus each day and learn that everything doesn't have to point back to us. That we would be excited and encouraged to point everything back to Him.