Reconciliation Ministries
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Greetings,
YOU ARE GREATLY BELOVED OF GOD
"See what manner of Love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called
children of God..."- 1 John 3:1-13
"THE ONE THING"
Cindee recently came home and shared with me what had happened while she was sitting in a
restaurant. She heard a waitress sharing with a woman that she had been trying to give up
smoking. Cindee said when she left the restaurant, the "One thing" that came to
her mind as she thought of the waitress was, she was trying to give up smoking. So as she
stood in my study and shared her story she posed the question "what is the one thing
people think of when they think of you?" A great question! And it got me thinking. on
this "crazy little called...love" Here are some of my thoughts that I thought I
would share with you... and Hopefully get you thinking as well
THE "ONE THING" THAT STANDS OUT ABOUT YOUR CHURCH?
It seems so often in our congregations we are knowing for our short fuses, our vain
boasting, our quarrels, and back-stabbing, criticism, indifference's to spiritual things,
lukewarmness, callousness of heart to the lost dying all around us. Indeed we are known
for the unattractive life rather than the attractive life which God would have us to be as
His own people. The "One thing " we are to be known for is not our intellectual
superiority, our Knowledge of Scripture [though correct and accurate knowledge and
application of Gods Word is imperative], our Programs, professions. Indeed in 1
Corinthians 13: It says if I speak with the most eloquent of speech yet do not have Love
"I am nothing... and it profits me nothing!"
I left school when I was fifteen, so I haven't had a lot of time to learn math, but even I
know, nothing, plus nothing equals NOTHING. No love… we are Nothing from heavens
perspective. And His is the only One that counts!
The "ONE THING" that is to stick out when others think of us, who are servants
of the Lord Jesus Christ is "LOVE"
Indeed, our Lord Jesus says "By this shall ALL men KNOW you are My disciples by your
LOVE ONE FOR ANOTHER."
When people think of you or me, is that the "ONE THING" that they think of, that
we are people who Love! All cannot preach, all cannot go across the world with the message
but all can LOVE.
Biblical love is not emotion but a choice of the will to selflessly and sacrificially
place others before our self. Indeed those who love are servants. Has anyone recognized us
as Servants of the Lord Jesus based on our love for one another recently?
LOVE THE EVIDENCE OF BELONGING TO THE LORD JESUS - "By this ALL men
will know You are My disciples by your love for one another"- John 13:34-35.
LOVE CAN BE KNOWN -
1 John 3:16 "WE KNOW LOVE BY THIS, that He laid down His life for us; and we OUGHT to
lay down OUR LIVES for the brethren." The word "Ought" is a moral
obligation. You are morally obligated as am I to MAKE A CONSCIOUS AND CONTINUAL CHOICE
choose to put others first... His was a Conscious choice to LOVE you, and I, even to the
point of Death. We too, are to consciously choose to place the welfare of others before
ourselves. This is what it means to express love. Valentine's Day is around the Corner,
and the chocolates and flowers will come out as well as the cards. Money spent on
expressing "love" to another. But what about the other 364 days of the year? Do
we need the world's standard to have a specific day to love? Indeed just as signs and
advertisements display the upcoming event. My life and yours is to be a Sign that LOVE is
in the Midst, by the way we choose to live! We are to be People of love who are involved
in congregations who love. Indeed the FELLOWSHIP of loving people should be evidenced by
all who come in contact with us...
LOVE IS TO BE SHOWN
1 John 3:18 "...let us not love with word or with tongue, but in DEED and
truth." Outside of yourself and your own family, Whose need have you and I recently
CHOSEN to meet?
LOVE CAN BE LEARNED
1 Thessalonians 4:9 "...for you yourselves are TAUGHT by God to love one
another."
LOVE IS TO BE EXCELLED AT
1 Thessalonians 4:10 - " For indeed you do practice it [Loving the brethren] toward
ALL the brethren...But we urge you, brethren, to EXCEL STILL MORE." It never gets to
the stage where we have arrived at selfless, sacrificial choosing to express love to
others. We must continue and indeed excel at love. For all the effort we put into our
jobs, our workouts, our energies given to things that don't and wont last for eternity,
isn't it time we focussed and became a people of the "ONE THING." that God says
we should be known for?
As Paul says in Philippians 2:3-4A people who chose to "Do nothing from selfishness
or empty conceit, but with HUMILITY of mind let each of you REGARD one another as MORE
IMPORTANT THAN HIMSELF; do not merely look out for your own interest but also the interest
of others." And notice where Paul says it begins? With the "Mind." A Godly
attitude, that is to result in Godly Actions ... preferring one another.
Paul says in Romans 12:10 "Be Devoted to one another in brotherly love, Give
preference to one another in honor." "Give preference" can be translated
"Outdo." We are to Outdo one another in Honoring the other person. Now with all
the COMPETITIVENESS that goes on in some of our congregations, this is to be the "ONE
THING" we are to truly be competitive about!!
LOVE'S BEHAVIOR
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Teaches us that Love is a verb... "Love is Being kind...love
is being patient..."etc. And since the nature of God is Love, 1 John 4:8"...for
God is love."...if you put His Name in where it says "Love," you will find
a beautiful picture of our Blessed Savior ... for example as you read...Place God where it
says Love and it reads "GOD is Being Patient, GOD is beings Kind. .. GOD never
fails..." What a beautiful portrait of the Truth of God. What great Praise and
worship material to use as you Speak to Him in your prayers
A PORTRAIT OF ME
But we cannot stop there, for this is also to be the portrait of you and me. We are called
to love as the above verses show us, John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:16-18, We are to be Learning
how to love, We are to be Excelling in our love. Indeed this is to be your portrait and
mine...Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and this time where it says love, PLACE YOUR NAME there
instead and read it. For example, as I am Commanded to Love by God, and as His child as
His Blessed Spirit controls and enables me to love.... I would read as, "Aidan IS
always KIND, Aidan is always... Patient", etc. What you see is the truth, as I do
whether the way we behave is in obedience to the Lord or not. We either are continually
loving through a conscious choice and commitment to love or not!
LOVE IS A TEST OF SALVATION - 1 John 4:8 says, "The one who does not
love, does not know God." "If someone says, 'I love God' and hates his brother,
he is a LIAR..." Indeed, if the bent of the life is self-centeredness, looking out
for "number one." Then, my friend God says you do not know Him...and you are a
Liar! ...Phew... a serious thing this thing called "love" from Gods perspective,
isn't it?
When people have met you and for those who know you is the portrait of Love a reality or
not. The "ONE THING" that comes to mind, is "loving." Selfless,
Sacrificially placing others before yourself, and could they say by observing our lives,
[Not our lips] l "They belong to Jesus Christ because of the way they TREAT and Love
others."
Hmm, Cindee got me thinking... and that's a good thing. I hope this gets you thinking
also. But thinking though is a start but it must translate into actions ... of Love.
WHO ARE YOU TO LOVE
God says YOU are to Love Him - Matt 23:37
God says YOU are to love your neighbors- Matt 22:39
God says YOU are to Love one another- John 13:34-35
God says YOU are to Love your enemies - Luke 6:27
God says YOU are to Love your spouses - Ephesians 5:25
Cindee, definitely got me thinking... So, friend and foe are all to be Loved, none are to
be excluded. You mean there is no one I am not to Love? That is what God says. Everyone is
a candidate for the Love of Christ to be expressed to them through YOU and I.
THREE TRUTHS TO CONSIDER
1. - God has COMMANDED us to Love one another,- 1 John 3:16
2. - He has Given us the CAPACITY to do so-Romans 5:5, Galatians 5:22.
3. - We must CHOOSE to love.
And that begins with Adopting a Godly ATTITUDE, as Phil 2:3-4 shows. Indeed only the
humble love as Philippians 2:3-4 shows us. Those who don't is because of a lack of
humility, which will be evidenced in selfish thinking, which is worked out and revealed in
self centered living.
Again, it does not mean you have feelings for them, for you may not. What Mom, continually
waking up in the middle of the night with a new born, "feels" wonderful. But her
commitment to the child is evidenced by her placing the child ahead of her self. Biblical
love is not an emotion but a CHOICE of the will to Prefer the other person for their
benefit and God's Glory.
May the "ONE THING" Heaven knows us for and others is our "Love."
LOOKING FOR LOVE
INDEED PEOPLE have a right to see a difference in our Lives if we say we are servants of
Christ, Bought and paid for by Him, indwelled with His Blessed Holy Spirit, who produces
such Sacrificial Love- Galatians 5:22. All sin, is devoid of love and instead full of
lovelessness, and manifested in selfishness.
God bless and encourage you and I to look at our behavior and make adjustments in our
Thinking and produce it in our lives to excel at ...loving others, for Jesus sake,- 2
Corinthians 4:5
HOW DO YOU LOVE THE LORD JESUS?
We express Love to our Lord Jesus how? Through our Obedience to what He says - John 14:21.
The lack of love, we express is in direct proportion to our lack of love for Jesus Christ-
John 14:21, John 15:14
THANKS FOR YOUR LOVE TO US
Thank you for those of you who have LOVED us as a family. We appreciate the Love of Christ
you have shown to us in His Name- Hebrews 6:10. Our prayer for you, and we ask you to pray
it for us, is that we would "Choose to love...and Excel in Love".
YOU ARE LOVED
You are Loved - Galatians 2:20 says "The Son of God loved me...". Revelation 1:5
says "...to Him who loves us...". The Amplified Bible translates 1 John 3:1-13
"See what an incredible quality of love the Father has given, shown, bestowed on us,
that we should be permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God. And so
we are...".
Aidan, for Cindee,Mary, John-Keith, Noah, Evan, Isaiah
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