Love's Ways, Pt 3 of 5, No. 186

1 Thessalonians 4:9, “You yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”

 We don’t learn to love on our own. It is God, the source of love, who teaches us. Let’s keep learning more…

Leaping Love

2 Corinthians 8:7 says, “Therefore, as ye abound in every thing… and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.”  I love the Way’s translation of this Scripture, “Full you are to overflowing… of the love that leaps from you hearts to mine…”  What an exciting description of love. I think of a frog jumping from one rock to another. Can you get the picture of love leaping from one heart to another within your family? This is not stagnant love. Leaping love is vibrant, pulsating, overflowing. It won’t stay in the heart. It constantly leaps from one member to another within the home. Pray that God will fill all your hearts with leaping love for one another. This is what you call exciting living!

Disciplinary Love

1 Peter 1:22 in the Knox translation says, “Purify your souls with the discipline of love…” This is a good thought. Love takes discipline. To live an undisciplined life is selfish. It is not thinking of others but only of one’s self. To sleep in late, to let the household chores pile up, and to let the home get disorderly because of an undisciplined life is not love. Disciplinary love makes sure meals are ready on time. It makes sure meals are tasty and nutritious. It makes sure the home is orderly so everyone can enjoy living in it.  Even though it takes effort, true love will be disciplined to keep things in ship shape for the blessing of everyone in the home.

Sacrificial Love

1 John 3:16 says, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Jesus revealed pure agape love when He, who was God, laid down His life for us who were sinners. This is the greatest sacrificial love. And yet, in the same way, He asks us to lay down our life for others. Read also Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 5:25. This certainly does not come naturally, does it? It is only when agape love kicks in that we can walk in sacrificial love.

Patient Love

“Love suffers long.” (1 Corinthians 13:4). The Greek word for longsuffering love is makrothumeo which means ‘to be longsuffering as opposed to be given to hasty anger; to endure patiently as opposed to despondency; and is used of exercising patience towards people.’ How easy it is to get impatient with those we love. They don’t come up to our standards. They take so long to do something. They can’t grasp what we are trying to teach them. They exasperate us. But God’s agape love that resides within us is full of patience. Instead of waiting in despair, it waits in hope, believing that God is working and will work to fulfill His purposes.

James 5:7-10 gives the illustration of the farmer who has “long patience” to wait for the harvest of his seed. In the same way, we often have to have long patience as we wait to see God work in those we love. Instead of getting impatient and despondent, claim the promise of Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Every day, thank the Lord for the good work He is doing in your husband and your children.

Kind Love

“Love is very kind.” (1 Corinthians 13:4) The word in the Greek is chresteumai and means ‘to treat as one’s own family, to show oneself useful, to act benevolently.’ One writer said, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” Love gives! Constantly gives. Love gives tangible gifts, but love also gives reassurance, encouragement, smiles and cuddles. And perhaps the biggest gift that love gives is time! Time is a love-gift. “Love ever gives, forgives, outlives, and while it lives, it gives! For this is love’s prerogative, to give and give and give!”

We must also remember kind words. The testimony of the Proverbs 31 woman is that “in her tongue is the law of kindness.” (Proverbs 31:26) It is the law of love. The word kindness in this Scripture is the Hebrew word chesed which is one of the most important words in the Old Testament. It relates closely to the word ‘grace’ in the New Testament. It describes God’s unfailing love, kindness, devotion, favor, mercy and grace toward us. This is the kind of teaching that should flow lovingly from our tongues. May God anoint us and help us!

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

 “Lord, I thank you that you are my teacher. You are the source of love. Lead me more and more into the fullness of your love. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

We are going to become a Leaping Love family!

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