It's all about LOVE!
/
...a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries... Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men [spiritual adults], be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:9, 13-14 ESV
Let all that you do be done in love. Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But we know it’s often very hard.
In fact, Paul's words in verse 9 nail it on the head, don't they:
...there are many adversaries...
That's right! Enemies, opposition, struggles! All against loving...why?
And the love Paul is talking about is GOD'S LOVE...not our touchy-feely kind that comes and goes. It 's unconditional, sacrificial, others-oriented. And that's not only hard, but impossible apart from God Himself.
So what are the adversaries that we typically struggle with?
Try these for a starter:
fear...it's risky to love! We may be rejected!
comparison...with its companions: jealousy, competition, pride (if we think we're better) or self-rejection (if we feel inferior)
unforgiveness...it eats away at our souls and begins to leak out on all our other relationships (See Matthew 18:21-35, especially verse 34)
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are totally loved and accepted by our Father God. So we can pass this God-Love on to others. We can love with HIS love.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
So the loved love … but how?
By letting the Living, Loving, Indwelling Christ love through us today.
But, you might say, that's all well and good, but I am not particularly feeling loved myself today. Maybe the place to start is by letting yourself be loved by the Father. He's always loving you, searching you out, whether you feel it or not! Bask in the Father's love...and then don't hold back! Let it flow out...or as I like to say, let it rip!
Because...
love, heart, candles
Love Will Find A Way
Steve Green
Love will find a way
To follow where you run
Love will cover you
And shield you from the sun
This will all be done
Just to heal you, to heal you
Love will lift the veil
You try to hide behind
Love will kiss your tears
And turn them into wine
This will all be done
To reveal you, reveal you
REFRAIN
Love will take your shame
Love will lift your head
Love will take the blow
That was meant for you instead
Love will take your shame
Love will lift your head
Love will take the blow
That was meant for you instead
Love will never leave
No matter what you say
Love will look beyond
Your brokenness today
This will all be done
Just to name you,
This will all be done
To reclaim you, reclaim you
REFRAIN
Love will find a way
To follow when you run
