Hello my fellow readers, family and friends! Let’s talk about Love. To be honest, this was not my original idea to write on next, but recently I was led to remind myself “what love is”.
Love is a word that often gets thrown around loosely. You love your car. You love your new shoes. You love ice cream. You love a celebrity. You love your favorite foods. Oh also, it’s quite easy to actually love people that loves you back.
But, how about those people that don’t love you or don’t show love back to you? How about those people that smile in your face but stabs you in the back? How about those people that is inconsiderate, lacks compassion and all around don’t care for anyone and sometimes, not even themselves. Do you love them? How about the people that’s doing great in life, do you secretly despise them or are happy for them? Oh, how about those people that vote differently than you do? Last year’s election brought out a lot of hate in people, including Christians. Do you have love in your heart for them? How about those people that attempts to mock the name Jesus and refuse to serve the Most High God? The list can quite go on and on.
We can speak the word “love”, but what’s in our heart is what truly matters.
So…What Is Love? God Is Love
Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Love Is Patient
I often remind myself of how patient God was with me. That reminder helps me to be patient with others. To be honest, it is not always easy to have patient love, but if you want to love like God loves, you have to be willing to be taught how He loves.
I’ve been taught through experiences with people that is hard to love. I hear God’s voice saying, “You have to be patient with them Monique. Don’t give up on them. Don’t lose hope and don’t let love escape your heart for them”.
Patient love describes God. He had patience with me when I lived life on my own terms. He did not give up on me when I didn’t always walk in obedience. He didn’t lose hope because He knew I was going to come running back home. And His love was always there even when I didn’t feel it.
Love Is Kind
I always say, “it doesn’t cost a thing to be kind”. You can show kindness to others every single day. Give someone a genuine smile, hold the door open for the person walking behind you, help a co-worker in need, be a listening ear, give an encouraging word and wise advice, find ways to help the homeless. Tell others about the One who saves.
Speaking of Jesus, He embodies kindness. He ALWAYS went out of His way for people. He showed kindness as much as He did patience. He said to “love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus was kind to everyone including the one disciple that betrayed Him, Judas.
Although, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, He still showed kindness and fed Him. That kind of kindness is impossible to have without the Holy Spirit.
Love Does Not Envy
If you truly loved someone, you would not be envious aka jealous of them and the things they have.
If you want to love like God loves, you will rejoice and be happy for others. You will be happy for your friend that found the one that God had for her. You will be happy for your family member that was able to buy or build a house. You’ll be happy for the person creating their own business. And…you’ll be happy for the one that finds Jesus and receives true grace and peace.
Jealousy blocks the door of blessings from God. Love others, be happy and be blessed.
Love Does Not Boast
A person that boasts, is a person that thinks of themselves more important than others and are highly prideful in anything they have or do.
That’s not the love of God. A person that have God’s love in them will think of others’ interests, needs and wants as well as their own. They will also give all glory to our Father in heaven for all that they have and for all they can do.
Father God, thank you for all that I have. You blessed me to be able to work to possess the things I have. It is because of You that I can do all than I can do. For I am nothing without you.
Love Is Not Proud
Being proud and boastful can run on two sides of the same coin. Pride is the beginning of sin. It is self-centered and not God-centered.
Godly love focuses on others as well as yourself.
Reality check: this world does not revolve around just you.
Love Does Not Dishonor Others
To put plainly…Love Is Not Rude.
A rude person is impolite, disrespectful and does and says insulting things to others.
Love Is Not Self-Seeking
Self-seeking is having a self-centered attitude. It does not think about others, only what it wants when it wants it. This attitude will make you think that this is your world and others are just living in it.
Simply Put…That Is Not Of God.
He did not give us a spirit of selfishness.
Love Is Not Easily Angered
I had to repent twice recently for getting angry quickly at two people in two different situations. Any other time, I do not get angry easily. I guess I let Satan get to me through them and afterwards I felt foolish to even fall his schemes.
Love Keeps No Record Of Wrongs
This type of Love is a patient and forgiving love.
We cannot say we forgive someone but yet constantly bring up every and any wrong thing they have done to us in the past and present.
Of course, none of us are perfect and it can be quite hard to just let it go especially when you’ve been hurt countless of times. If you need help, go to God in prayer to help release the chains of unforgiveness. Trust me, I had to do just that and it set me free.
”Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
Love Does Not Delight In Evil But Rejoices With The Truth
This type of love does not rejoice in wrongdoings or does not rejoice when something bad happens to others.
But it does rejoice with the truth. Who is Truth? Jesus Christ
Love Always Protects
This type of godly love watches out for others.
What it doesn’t mean is that you will always be there to protect them physically, but you can protect them in other ways.
Giving people wise advice so they can be on the right path and not on a path that leads to self destruction. Parents disciplining their children by guiding, teaching and correcting them along the way in life and not letting them do whatever. If you see a friend in harms way, you can speak up to protect them. Whatever the person is, family, friend or foe, if you have the love of God in you, you will always have their best interest at heart and try to protect them from harm.
Love Always Trusts
This type of love believes the best in their loved ones and always have faith in them.
It may not be that easy to just fully trust a loved one that has consistently lied or cheated you in life, but God has called us to see the best in others, believe in them and love them just as God has loved us unconditionally.
Love Always Hopes
This type of love has faith and is hopeful that others can and will change for the better.
You may see a person for their past, flaws, mistakes, and sins but God sees them as His child and He knows where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Will you be that willing person to intercede on their behalf and pray wholeheartedly, have faith and have the same hope for this person that you have for your own salvation?
As long as there is breath there is hope.
Love Always Perseveres
Life isn’t all beautiful roses. Life can be hard sometimes and Christians are not exempt from trouble for Jesus said: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
To persevere is to not give up.
When you are barely making ends meet and don’t know where your next meal will come from, call on Jesus. When you are having a hard time in your marriage and want to give up, call on Jesus. When you are tired and weak, call on Jesus. When you are feeling discouraged in your mission God has for you, call on Jesus.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Love Never Fails
God’s love will never fail you, never forsake you and will never end.
Sometimes, I often fall short in displaying and spreading Godly love to certain people, namely, the ones that clearly has no type of love of God in them. That is why I ask God to teach me how to love others as He loves them and teach me to see others the way He sees them.
In order to have and give unconditional love, you need the Holy Spirit. To receive the Holy Spirit, you need to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. For those that have not, now is the time.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-38
#AGAPELOVE
Monique ST, Girl On A Mission
Love is something I barely hear in my home, we don’t say, “I love you at all”. This home is barely a home. Working on it and working on it….
You may not hear it a lot but you can still say it to others in your home and also show love to them. Sometimes change starts with you. Allow Christ in your heart and home so that you will know how to properly love your spouse and children.