Love is...

[mikeller3]

Today''s message at church hit me like a ton of bricks.  I have often asked, "How do I outwardly glorify God in my daily life?"  When I walk down the street I want people to say, "There goes Mike, he''s a christian."

I got my answer today!

  1 Corinthians 13: vss 4-7--- Love is patient, Love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, 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.  (NIV)

The pastor hit every man in the room right between the eyes when he said that we should put OUR names in place of LOVE and It.  And then ask our Wives, friends, family members and Children if that defines us.  I can confess a resounding NO!  It is the always part that I have to work on.  With Jobs, Customers, Wives and Children, the stresses add up fast and I find it hard to keep with the always.  This is my prayer for the week, I will be praying this week for God to move me ever closer to the always part.  For God, thru Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit, to come inside me and change my character, so that I may be these things described by Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13: vss 4-7.  I would ask that if there is anyone else out there that feels the stress of life, like I do, (that stress that sometimes causes us to forget to think first in love, and not in the emotion from the situation that we are or were just in)  to add you name to the list.  I will add you to my prayer, and you can say the same prayer and add me to yours.  If you embody this already, please share with the rest of us how we all can add the ALWAYS to our lives.

[John Akehurst]

I''m with you on this.  Please add me to your list and I''ll start a list with you and me.

Anyone else???

[darstormas1]

Galatians 5:16-18 says "16.This i say then walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fufil the lust of flesh. 17. for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18. but if ye be led of the spirit ye are not under the law. If we truelly want to walk the walk and talk the talk the only way we can do that is by walking spirit filled. For in the spirit we find the true life we are created for. We have to allow the spirit to rule our lives, and when we do this we will truelly walk the way God has intended for us to. We will be able to because the greatest gift of the spirit is love. The love that passes all understanding will flow out of us touching others. I have by no means perfected this but hope this helps you and count me in on the prayers. Darin

[Shane]

It is good to bare in mind Self help is no help at all....
True change of character is fashioned and imparted in the crucible of real intimacy with God and His Holy Spirit.
Intimacy with God is the bed from which Godly character is authentically formed and then birthed .

What ever we behold we become.

Webster Definition:
Intimacy, State of being intimate; close friendship.
Intimate, Inward or internal; close in friendship; familiar, close. An intimate or familiar friend. To hint or indicate; to announce.

Psalm 73:28
But it is good for me to draw near to God;I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

31.Hebrews 7:19
for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
 
32.Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
 
33.James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
As we experience Him through true intimacy we shall be transformed in our souls (mind will and emotions).

Great Topic!