LOVE - is Definitive

 
Love Excellently…And now I will show you the most excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:31b
God is love; we love because he first loved us… 1John 4

Wisdom Shared: Love has its complexities, because we have our very own preconceived notions of what love looks like and how we should love. Truthfully, many will read this and have a difficult time with the points I have shared. And that's okay...I am sharing these truths inspired by God through the promptings of the word of truth.  As followers of Christ, we have the word of God, we have the power of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in us to empower us in divine love.  We are commanded to- love one another deeply… Love is a deliberate decision not a feeling. Love is an action not an emotion. Emotion leads us to commotion and destruction. Let us observe the definitive definition of love through the word of truth.

Love is...Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive [Protects], loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
Love never fails! 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (CEV)
Contemporary English Version

An Acronym for Love ~
Love one another…John 15:12
Obey the truth… 1Peter 1:22
Virtue …add to your faith virtue… 2 Peter 1:5
Encourage one another daily… Hebrews 3:13

The world’s definition of love is misinterpreted, perhaps even skewed if you will.
I share these things to sharpen our swords and to encourage us because of the deceitfulness of sin that plagues us everyday. In the worlds definition there is nothing definitive about love. Love is based on false deceptions; preconceptions of following as the world would say: Follow your heart! Follow my heart, according to the word of God my heart is wicked and deceitful [Jeremiah 17:9] We fall in love, we fall out of love. We fall out of love, perhaps we have been wronged. Even worse perhaps an individual we once loved no longer lives up to our standard of un-definitive definition of what we perceive love to be. More than likely the answer is the latter… Where does that leave our relationships within marriage; parent child relationships; friendships? Un-forgiveness due to brokenness leading to bitterness leaving us in a dis-grace from God. That ultimately separates us from God.

We are called to love one another deeply…
Love covers a multitude of sins [wrongs]. 1Peter 4:8 The attributes of love are defined in God’s word. The definitive definition is clear. It is only through the power of Christ in you, the word of God written on the tablet of our hearts, along with the “Holy Spirit” leading guiding, prompting us that we can love in this way. How we love one another displays our trust in God’s word through our spiritual maturity of our faith. Without faith it impossible to please the Him. Hebrews 11:6
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance,
In Christ Love,
Jennifer Pettiford
Love-Excellently~

The Qualities of Love:

• Love bears all things  
• Love believes all things 
• Hopes all things
• Endures [Perseveres] all things
• Love never fails…

The question for today: How do we love others?

Love is Patient… How patient are am I with others?
Love is kind… Do I show kindness to others?
Love does not envy… How often do I envy my neighbor; co-worker; family or friend?
Love does not boast… Have I esteemed my-self higher than I ought to?
Love is not proud… Do I hide behind the invisible wall of pride? 
...Keeping me unfruitful and unproductive…
Love is not self-seeking…Do I have a motive or expectation for any act of kindness I perform?
Love is not easily angered… Am I easily offended? 
Are my standards for behaviors of others unreasonable?
Love keeps no records of wrongs… Do keep count of sins/wrongs of other? 
Keeping me in bondage of un-forgiveness…
Love does not delight in evil… Do I applaud when bad things happen to those who wronged me? 
Do I seek revenge or look to teach a lesson?

Heart Check
Perform a self examination with the questions above. You can seek the counsel of a friend in Christ you look up to, or take the time to use the mirror of God’s word to speak to you. God is faithful he will work in those areas of weaknesses if we confess it to him.

Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies…

Love rejoices in truth . The word of God is truth Psalm 33:4
It always protects…It discerns the attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Always trust…Trust in the Lord Proverbs 3:5;6
Always hopes… Hope in God never disappoints Hebrews 10:23
Always perseveres… Perseverance makes us mature and complete not lacking anything. James 1:4
Love never fails… If we are faithful to seek God with all hearts, mind and strength through his word of truth, love will never fail us
Move forward love fearlessly, love excellently be clothed with love as we have been commanded to do with the power of Christ in you!