Love That Melts Your Heart

Happy Valentines Day to all! If you're married or have a special someone, I hope this is a special day for you to share your love and friendship together. If you are not, I hope you have a heart-melting moment like I had yesterday. I was worried and stressed about a number of things and went to the Y to walk the track and escape with my i-pod for a while. Until the day care kids entered the gym with high voltage energy and volume.

I was annoyed that they were messing with my peaceful getaway. After a few laps, I got the feeling I was being watched and looked down to lock eyes with a little girl  in a pink and white striped shirt. She tilted her pigtailed head to one side and smiled. My heart melted. She waved and I waved back. Suddenly I was smiling and the noise didn't matter anymore.

I pray that love will melt your heart today and that you will pass it on to someone else who needs a smile, a hug, a wave, or a touch from another person.

Today, I want to share part of a devotion with you from the soon-to-come-out iLove Devotional (watch for it on www.bethvicebookstore.com). This is a project I have been working on with my talented singer/songwriter brother-in-law Rob Baker. Each devotion is based on the songs of his iLove CD. You can listen to and purchase individual songs or his cd at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robbaker

Linda Loves Jesus

They say sex begins in the kitchen. Apparently good songs do too. At least that’s how “Linda Loves Jesus” began. Rob was in a silly mood. When Linda started raving about her love for Jesus, he danced around her teasing, “Linda loves Jesus more than me.” She laughingly agreed it was true.

What began as a pouty little phrase, dawned on Rob as wonderful truth. That’s the way it’s supposed to be! Pretty soon the silly chant began to take on rhythm and form. Rob holed up in their music room and a new song was born.

When Jesus sent the twelve disciples on their first preaching mission, He warned them their first love must belong to Him. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

When we put God first, our love and commitment to Him becomes so intense, that it makes our love for anyone else look like hatred in comparison. Jesus used this example to show us what commitment means:

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-27).

Despite the seeming contradiction of Jesus’ words, when we give Him all our love it actually strengthens our marriages. God created us to need a relationship with Him first, with all other relationships second. When we live according to His design, it works. That’s why Rob can sing that he wants his wife to love Jesus more than him, and that he loves Jesus first as well. They know the secret to a happy marriage is to love Jesus more than any-one or any-thing.

When I sing along with “Linda Loves Jesus,” I put my husband’s name in place of hers. That’s what I desire for my marriage as well. If you’re married, I hope that’s what you want too. If you’re single, this song can guide you in:

·         every dating relationship

·        every job you accept

·        every ministry opportunity you embark on

·        every possession you own

If your life is a level, what is the bubble you adjust to in the middle?  Is Jesus your center? If not, what needs to change?