Decade of Love

So, here we are. It is the year 2020 which heralds a new decade.. On my social media I see 'big names' in missionary ministry sharing their vision for the next year or even 10 years. This reminds me of what happened to me in the last couple of years.To my surprise, I didn't really come to a conclusion or beautiful thought. Yes I know; anticlimatic.. I have plenty of reasons for gratitude but I could not come to a comprehensive conclusion.

"..Suddenly I felt the huge gap!"

In the first week of our new year, just arrived in Romania, after spending a month in The Netherlands, Melissa and I were in the car and she told me something that touched me deeply, very deeply ..

Sometimes one conversation can change your entire perspective. Although people often say: "Never live with regret" I came to a conclusion. A sad conclusion in the first place, following my conversation with Melissa in the car. I regretted that I did not love more than I actually wanted. How imperfect my love had been and as never before I regretted my unwillingness to actually love. I have learned to love to a certain degree but suddenly I felt the huge gap between the love I had shown and the love I longed to live from. The whole experience made me humble.

I had deep compassion for all those people I had rejected, criticized or had not really seen, in my imperfection. I would like to go back to 2019, 2018, 2017, back to the beginning to love those whom God had brought on my path, and loved so very much..I felt regret. But not the kind of regret that would leave you with a depression but regret from a deep conviction of God's Spirit. This conviction came with a repentance and conversion in my heart and at the same time with a belief and deep conviction that God is able to make my love complete. After all, His love has been shed abroad in our hearts by The Holy Spirit. He enables us to love like He does.My heart burned with a different love, with compassion and I felt how this love covered many of my shortcomings. It gave me a glimpse into the future and I saw myself praying for people and for situations. It gave me insight into who I really want to be; a person who walks in love that is complete and perfect. A person who is free from fear. Fear, completely driven out and banished by the perfect love of God.

Personally, I see 2020 as the introduction of "decade of perfect love".

I am convinced that this love is the foundation in our search for our destiny, the great commission, the process in sonship, the heavenly gifts, marriage, the church and our entire existence.I remember the words of Jesus:

"As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Lots of love, Gideon, Melissa and Eldad Adema