It's All About the Love!

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Today's Passage: 1Corinthians 13

Memory Verse: 1 Cor. 13: 13

We've been talking a lot this week about how God wants us to get connected.  We learned at church that, no matter how powerful a body is, if the joints are weak, there will be problems in that body.  In the same way, the joints (where we as believers are connected) are the strongest parts of the body of Christ. Well, as I continued thinking about all that, the Lord gave me an image of joints that were not healthy.  In the medical field, this disease is called arthritis.  I'm no doctor, but basically what causes arthritis is when the joints have no lubrication in between them. The patient experiences pain at those places where the joints are forced to touch each other without that precious lubrication.

Since we are the body of Christos, the Anointed One and His anointing, isn't it amazing that He and His Father already figured out we would need that lubrication to hold us together without causing pain to one another?  It's all about love.  Love is what God gave us to allow us to co-exist in ways that would bring Him glory.  Love is a serious commitment. It requires us to think of others besides ourselves, sometimes even putting them BEFORE ourselves.  So it's understandable when many believers back away and hesitate to buy into walking in love.

But one major thing we must not forget is that this type of love, GOD's love, is freely available to us. It never runs dry, but keeps getting replenished the more we fill ourselves with Him.  If we allow His agape love to lubricate our joints, we won't be so quick to be done with one another, because it, like Him, is patient and long-suffering, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.  We won't let ugly words tumble out of our mouths like a fast-moving stream, because that love, like the Author, is kind and gentle, not rude, and not easily provoked.

What a wonderful world this would be if we, the Saints of the Most High God, showed His love like we should.  Many artists have written songs about it, but the love they're looking for cannot be found in the world.  This love is not a "me-first" love.  It is not self-seeking.  That's why, when Jesus was on that cross, all He could see was us, hopeless and lost if He didn't go all the way.  Even while we were yet sinners, hating Him and everything He stood for, He put our needs first.  We are required to do no less.  Even in the midst of persecution and strife, may we remember that the very ones inflicting pain on us NEED us to stand in the gap for them.  By this the world will know that we truly are the sons of God.  It's ALL about the Love.

Prayer: Father, thank You for showing me how to walk and talk Your language of love.  Because of what You did through Your Son Jesus, I can love my brothers and sisters.  I commit now to stand in the gap for each one, praying and believing the best about them until Your Perfect will is established in ALL our lives.  And the glory will be all Yours.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.