The Key to Life

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. - Phillipians 1: 3-6

When I was 20 years old, I decided to memorize the entire book of Phillipians because it addresses a person’s goals in life. The book is rich with principles that can also be used in your family.

When I became a Christian, God began a good work in me which he intends to complete! I find this promise to be exciting because I know that the work He began in me was the reality of knowing the love of God in my life.

Love is the glue that holds your marriage together. Love is the mold that helps shape your children as they grow up. Love is like the icing on the cake that causes your neighbors to see you as friends. Love is the path that leads to personal fulfillment.

Love is a work though. The love of God is not something known or discovered overnight; rather, God begins a process of teaching you about His love and this instruction continues all your life.

Love is like a diamond in that it has many different facets. When all the facets are seen together, a beautiful diamond is there for all to enjoy. When God is cutting your diamond, it can hurt but it always leads to new realizations.

Our lives are like a diamond that has been shaped by God which we will present to our Lord Jesus Christ. The exchange will result in an eternal life of the love of Christ.

When I was younger, I thought I knew everything there was to love. I could read 1 Corinthians 13 and knew how to recognize it. While the definition of love was known, I certainly did not know it’s presence in my heart or the thousands of applications of love. God has had to help me discover His Love in my life.

God is going to complete His work in me when I finally see Jesus. Jesus is the embodiment of love and the missing piece of the puzzle in life. I can understand Paul’s joy even though he faced death almost daily. His suffering could not overcome his joy of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. Paul was experiencing the love of God in His life which no man could take away.

As Paul traveled sharing the gospel, his joy of knowing Christ Jesus was the result of experiencing the rich presence of the love of God in his life. The key to having a wonderful family life begins with knowing the love of God in your life.