You Have The Power To Love!
NEW POWER – It takes more than human sinful effort to love others unconditionally, sacrificially, it takes Divine Power – “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence”- {2 Pet 1:3}.
Power To Deny, and Prefer- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus”- {Phil 2:3-5}. Denying yourself in order to prefer others, and note it begins with the mind, the thought life informing and influencing the choices to love! The “mind of Christ”as seen in this passage is where He DENIED Himself, voluntarily lovingly laying down His life on the cross, in order to PREFER others for their highest good!
You have the Power to DENY and PREFER others. And so as you “renew” your mind, learning to think from the Scriptures, knowing He has told us to live as such you have Divine Power to empower you otherwise to tell you to live this way without the Gift of his Power by His Spirit as revealed in His Word, would be to mock you, frustrate you. Indeed it would be cruel. But, “God has given you EVERYTHING pertaining to Life and Godliness…” “God is at work IN you both to desire and DO, for His good pleasure.”- {Phil 2:13.} “I can Do ALL things through Christ who Empowers me”- {Phil 4:13}.
Here is A PRAYER for STRENGTH! “I PRAY that out of His glorious riches He may STRENGTHEN YOU with Power Through His Spirit in your inner being” -{Eph 3:16}. Note this strengthening comes through the Holy Spirit, and with…Power! Power to live, power to live lovingly. Strengthened with Power by The Holy Spirit to love!
You have Divine Power. Choose to Continually DENY yourself and PREFER others, seeking their highest good, expecting or demanding nothing in return, BUT that which benefits them. Two people in a room, you are there to prefer and serve them for Jesus sake! As Paul put it, “… ourselves your servants, for Jesus Sake!“-{Read 2 Cor 4:5}.
Love is not based on “feelings” but a choice of the will to be exercised! Practically through renewing your mind, -{Rom 12:2} and Denying yourself and Preferring Others!
You Have The Power To Love…Others. One Thought, One Preference…at a Time, For Jesus Sake!