love.

"In those rare moments, when we are brutally honest with ourselves about the poverty of our love, isn't it painful to realize that we are, by nature, so sinful and flawed? We don't love as we should, we feel guilty, and we hide from the Lord because we think that he is like us: selfish, loveless, disappointed, and angry (although we would never say so openly). We assume that he is displeased with us, so we determine a gain to be more loving to try and get in his good graces. We inevitably fail again. Try as we might, while our attention is focused on ourselves, we just don't change. Failure drives us away from our Savior; we are blind to his eternal smile. We see the law, we see how we sin, we struggle to believe that he continues to love us with such great love, and we condemn our lack of zeal. What will ignite a white hot passion in our hearts? Only trusting in God's love for us. Only the gospel annihilates self-condemnation. Only love stimulates love."

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Counsel from the Cross