8 WAYS TO LOVE LIKE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HURT

She was running and skipping with abandon, as though nothing could hurt her. That is until the asphalt pathway jumped up and tripped her.

When was the last time you got shocked and hurt so badly that it took your breath away? Our granddaughter Quinn’s mouth was open and tears were in her eyes but no sound was coming out. And then, when it did come, it was a wail.

What happened next was awesome.

Her mum held her in her arms, gently brushed off the dirt and kissed the wound.

The tears were dried.

Then Quinn was up and running again with her former carefree abandon.

She ran as though she had never been hurt.

The beauty of childhood fearlessness – it can be dangerous but isn’t it awesome?

As adults, our hurts can define us and our pains can shape our destiny as well as our identity.

As adults its often too hard to get over our hurts. We live tentatively, guardedly. We have good memories and poor recoveries.

Jesus is pretty clear about a choice we have to make in order to move forward in life:

When you’re hurt, get up, let out a wail, brush yourself off and get running again.

Could it have been the powerful resiliency of little children that Jesus was referring to when he said, “…unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

What Jesus offers this advice in answer to a question about how to live a great life.

Greatness flows from keeping short accounts and practicing long term memory loss when it comes to our hurts.

8 Ways to Live As Though You’d Never Been Hurt

1. People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

2. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

3. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Be good anyway.

5. Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

6. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

7. People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them. Help them anyway.

8. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Hurting?

Do you need healing?

Make the choice to “become like a little child.”

Jesus will hold you, clean up your wound, kiss it better and send you on your way, carefree and abandoned to risking love.

APPLICATION: Imagine Jesus holding you. What better place to be to hear the words, “Its going to be OK.” Please leave a comment below. Thank you.

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I write to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose. If this material is helpful to you, please follow me.

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