You could say this has been my "motto" for the last year, as those that attend bible study with me can tell you. But it is not just my motto, it is the prescription God gave us to live our lives by.
God is love! (1 John 4:8) When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God poured out His love into us through the Holy Spirit. (Rom 5:5) We just have to choose to walk in it.
I have really noticed a change in my life when I decided to do just that.
The word says to love your neighbor as (you do) yourself. (Matt 22:39) To treat others as you would have them treat you.
God said to love Him with everything and to love everyone around you as you love yourself. He said these commandments summed up the Law and how we are to walk, for if you love, you would obey all the commandments (old and new).
When you put yourself in that mind set, you will notice a change. When you have to stand in a long line at the store - you don't tend to let it get you inpatient. When your order gets messed up in a restaurant you don't chew out the waitstaff or make rude comments about the service. You start to think about the checker or waitress or cook and maybe something you can't see or know about, has happened. You start to think, what if I was the checker or the waiter, how would I feel right now? How many people have chewed them out already? What would a kind word or gesture - a smile, do for them? Everyone can have a bad day. I have also experienced that when I walk in love - I have a better day!!
Walking in love is what we are commanded to do (John 15:17). We are even commanded to love our enemies (Matt 5:44). We are supposed to love others as God loves us (John 13:34). Love does no wrong to one's neighbor (Rom 13:10). In 1 Cor 8:1 it says love edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow (to his full potential). We should be edifying people instead of tearing them down. In chapter 5:6 in Galations it says that only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love shows that we are in Christ.
I could go on and on and quote scriptures that tell us to walk in love. God is love and love never fails. Love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). We should fear for or about nothing.
Love endures long, it is patient and kind; love never is envious or boils over with jealously, it is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant); it is not rude and does not act unbecomingly. Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong), it does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:1-8)
The word also says you reap what you sow. (2 Cor 9:6) That is in everything not just money. It is also words. Words have power. God created the universe with his Word, the earth, man. The Word says that whatsoever you say with your mouth you shall have. Matt 12:36&37 says that we will be judged by the words we speak. Prov 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. It is a two edged sword. It works both ways to do you good and to do you bad. 1 Peter 3: 10 says "For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from deceit."
If you give love you will reap love.
Love is the foundation of everything. Just as much as you love and want all for your children, that is just the beginning of God's love and wants for us. He said he would supply all our needs. 2 Cor 9:8 says God is able to make every favor and earthly blessing come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, possess enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance every good work and charitable donation. 2 Cor 9:10-11 says And God Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your resources for sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness and charity. Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous and your generosity as it is administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.
So by walking in love we are adding to our lives the abundance of God's love and everything He promised us - salvation and the blessing of Abraham (the abundance in all areas of our lives: health, relationships, finances, etc [Ps 23 & Ps 91& Eph 3:6]) - and people will see God's love in us and we will be a testimony to Him. We should be a living example of God's love. It is like the story you often hear of someone honking and giving the finger and cussing out someone who cut in front of them on the road and when the car passed them they had a Jesus fish on the back of their car. Is that the example God or we want to set?
Be an example - walk in love.
1 comment:
April, your blog is SO refreshing to read. You teach me something by your example every day and I am just real blessed to have you as my friend. Thank you for allowing God to work in you in your walk and in your words. Everyone who knows you benefits from Him.
Post a Comment