A big reason why it can be difficult to give out love is we fail to realize we are loved by God first, so we try to seek out that love from people around us.

The only way to love the Lord and love our neighbor is to daily open our hearts to the love that the Father has for us.  Romans 5:5 says ‘the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit’. A.W Tozer once said ‘It takes God to love God’.  We can only give out what we’re daily receiving and taking in from the Lord.

It’s easy for the truth of the Lord’s love to become common place.  Do we really believe that this Almighty, Majestic, Holy, Powerful Creator has an intimate care and love for YOU as an individual?  It’s easy to realize that the Son of God gave Himself on the cross for the world (John 3:16), but hard to realize that He gave Himself for me personally (Galatians 2:20)?

The passage in Genesis 2:7 says ‘the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground.’ The word ‘formed’ means ‘to mold into a form, especially as a potter does with clay’.  This same word is used throughout the Scriptures.  The Lord told Jeremiah ‘before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you.’ (1:5).  He told Israel ‘I formed you from your mother’s womb’ (Isaiah 44:3). The word ‘formed’ is an intimate term, implying the handiwork of God upon our lives.

The same God Who spoke worlds into existence and sustains it all by His power is the Master Potter who individually formed us for Himself!  Not only did He form our lives physically in the womb in such incredible detail, but as believers it says that He is uniquely fashioning us into His very own image (Romans 8:29).

To live day to day in this truth can liberate us from trying really hard to please God in our own strength!  It is God Who formed me and continues to form me.  This is His work!  I just need to let Him to do it in me and not resist Him, resting completely in His goodness and loving character.