I am an animal lover, and feel especially connected to dogs. I have come to realize that the love we experience from our pets is, in my opinion, an earthly reflection of the love God has for us. Our dogs don’t care what I am wearing, how much weight I’ve gained, or if I’m in an unusually foul mood. They are incredibly excited to see me every time I walk through the door, whether I’ve been gone all day, or just a moment out to the mailbox. They always seek me out and want to be close to me, and nothing I say or do has any impact on how much they love me.

This is a great comparison for the love of our Heavenly Father. It is unconditional, it is always seeking us out and always grateful for our time and attention. Just as our dogs shower us with a constant flow of unadulterated love, God is there doing the same thing, but on a much larger scale. The difference is that we aren’t able to see it expressed so blatantly, unless we know how to look for it.

The Lord shows His love for us in a million different ways. He shows it in the people He places in our lives who love us and are there for us when we need them most. He shows it in the smile of the convenience store clerk, or in the act of one person holding a door open for another. He shows it under a shared umbrella, or in the comforting touch of a nurse when we are sick. He shows it on the battlefield, where men and women choose to lay down their lives for people they’ve never met. He shows it in family circles, where people come together and choose to keep on loving each other, even when life gets hard and uncomfortable. There is no end to the examples of His love for us.

This is why it is so important that we work hard to stay close to Him. We must work to keep our focus off of ourselves and our own sufferings, and ask God to guide us towards people who need His love. We must ask Him to use us each day in whatever way we’re needed most. More often than not, we won’t even know how or when we are being used, but we can be sure that if we ask to be His instruments, He will use us to make the most beautiful music of life…the music of love.

When we face difficulties with those we love, we have to ask ourselves if we are going to choose the path of anger, or choose the path of love. Choosing the path of anger is usually the easier road to travel. It acts as a wall around our hearts, preventing us from receiving the blessings God is trying to put in our lives. It takes courage to forgive someone you’re mad at, and choose to focus your attention on your love for them, and accept there love for you. But that is the choice God requires us to make.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NIV

Don’t choose anger over love. Don’t let the enemy keep control of your life by using the club of hard feelings to beat up your spirit, and the spirits of those around you. Think about how our dogs greet us and love us day in and day out. Then think about that kind of love on steroids, which is the love we receive from God. Remember that the greatest grace we can offer is our love. If it’s being offered freely to you, perhaps you need to consider accepting it, and if you’re refusing to accept it, you need to ask yourself why…