May 13, 2018
Let me take you on a small journey of learning HOW to be one who LOVES relentless, passionately and endlessly wherever you go.
1John 4:16-19
16 We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us.[o] God is love![p] Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. 17 By living in God,[q] love has been brought to its full expression in us[r] so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment,[s] because all that Jesus now is,[t]so are we in this world. 18 Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment[u] has not reached love’s perfection. 19 Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.[v]
PRACTICE loving others daily wherever you go! STOP PRETENDING!
It is to become a lifestyle of LOVE. That you can’t stop it because its who you are. Not TRYING to become. It’s an upgraded way of living. It is the way Jesus Himself lived. It will cause you to rise above hurt, offense and anything that another does toward you. LOVE empowers you to see people the way God sees them. To treat them the way Jesus treats you. To respond to them in a way that Jesus would. LOVE empowers.
1cor. 12:31
31 But you should all constantly boil over with passion in seeking the higher gifts. And now I will show you a superior way to live that is beyond comparison!
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
13 If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing. 3 And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value.
Growing In Love…
We love for the joy of loving. Love means that we don’t have to “fix” people. We simply lift them up them with HOW we see them, think about them, and value them. Doing something for someone else without the need for recognition or gratitude will benefit the giver as much as it will the recipient. Love expressed, increases.
Love is about how we love, not who loves us. LOVE never plays the victim card toward others. It has produced a freedom that has revolutionized my relationships. Real love cannot be rejected, because it never seeks a return. Love is not an investment. It is the right thing to do. It is a part of our righteousness. That is, it is not just about doing the right thing, but more about being the right person. Be true to yourself and love others.
So as we go through these next set of passages, please allow the Holy Spirit to reveal where you can grow & develop in. And remember, note it or jot it down and be ready to practice it in your life.