“… to love”… we must always go forward By faith, loving others….I read a verse where Paul said, “the more I love you the less I AM LOVED.”-{2 Cor 12:15}. And seeing he did not deny his feelings or the reality but his determination was not to shrink back and save his life but to spend it by choosing to keep on loving. How powerful is that. I have a friend who has modeled this verse for me over the years in his dealings with so many people.
THE GREAT WITNESS; At the end of the day, the great witness is “By THIS ALL men will KNOW YOU ARE MY disciples… By YOUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER” – {John 13:34-35}. It has nothing to do with social standing, possessions or lack, nationality, or gender but EVERYTHING TO DO WITH….LOVING ONE ANTHER… and THIS IS THE TESTIMONY to “ALL'” lost and saved alike,that we belong to Him, by how we DEMONSTRATE LOVE for one another. But what does that look like? I am reminded of 1 John 3:16-18 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.“- “LOVE IS,…” AS one man said from this passage,“Love is as simple as meeting a need!” We will always have enough to “do good,” the Scripture says.
LOVE AND TAKING OUT THE TRASH! A husband on hearing of the love of Christ wanted to express his love to his wife and said “I love you I would lay down my life for you!” To which she responded, “Would you take out the trash for me?” Love is practical! Love is personal. Love is the choice to deny oneself in order to prefer another by serving them, for their good and God’s Glory ultimately. Love involves sacrifice, but the motive to make it what God calls love, is to be done for His sake ultimately! It is not merely looking out for one’s own interests but also the interest of others.= {Phil 2:3-5}. “The greatest of these is…Love!” – {1 Cor 13:13}
LIVING TESTIMONIES READ BY ALL PEOPLE; What a great testimony to “all” people if we were to choose to love one another. What evidence that Jesus is real and He is at work on the earth today as we become Testimonies to His Transforming Power and Manifested in Love. “By this ALL men will KNOW YOU ARE My disciples… by YOUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER!”
LIFE’S RELATIONSHIPS; Imagine if we were to make this our life’s goal and ACT upon it, with everyone we meet, or know, –” Let ALL that you Do, be DONE in Love.” –{1 Cor 16:14} To memorize this verse, which you can as can I. To meditate upon each word, phrase and to Pray it for ourselves and others that it be who we increasingly become and grow in practice{Phil 1:9} He reminds us and we make the choice to exercise this verse, what a difference it would be in our homes, communities, culture,- The people who “Love!” Not with word or tongue but “in deed and truth!” And the wonderful thing He has not only given us the command but the Spirit to enable, empower us { 2 Pet 1:4}… and opportunities. Paul’s need in Philippians was the believers opportunity to express. Love! {Phil 4:10, 15-18}. Our need was His opportunity to express love on the cross! Love is as simple as choosing no to self and yes to another and taking out the trash- with a good attitude , for Jesus sake! {2 Cor 4:5}
Love is as simple as meeting a need!