Make Love Your Goal
We know that we should love others, for God’s Word teaches: “God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him… He that loveth not knoweth not God…” (1 John 4:16, 8). But it’s not always easy as we try to cope with the day-to-day business of living in an unloving world.
There have been times when God has so poured forth upon me from the cornucopia of His love that I felt certain I would never again be unloving–only to be disappointed in myself. There have been times when I have prayed, “Oh, God, make your children more aware of love…” not realizing that I was selfishly desiring to be the object of that love.
If Jesus admonished us to love our brothers as ourselves, then there must be a key which will unlock the way to love in our lives whereby we can learn to walk more surely in love. It is only as we are sincere before the Lord in our desire to serve Him and have Him manifest His life through us that we are candidates to express to all around us His love–the God-kind of love.
This divine Love loved us and became flesh and dwelt among us. The Babe was Love wrapped in swaddling clothes, coming to earth to redeem us that the Holy Spirit might live within the hearts of believers and God might love the world through us.
This Christmas let us open our hearts to God’s Gift of Love and purpose to share this love with others. To do this, take the following steps:
1) Decide to make love your goal.
To make this holiday the most Christ-centered celebration ever, daily confess the following prayer, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (Amplified Bible), and watch the Holy Spirit manifest through you the God-kind of love everywhere you go.
“Father, if I (can) speak in the tongues of men and (even) angels, but have not love I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal… And if I have prophetic powers–that is, the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose; and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have (sufficient) faith so that I can remove mountains, but not (god’s love in me) I am nothing–a useless nobody, but Father, because grater is He that is in me than he that is in teh world, I ask you to love through me. My confession of faith to You is that Your love in me endures long and is patient and kind. The love I allow to flow through me is never envious nor boils over with jealousy. This love which flows forth from my inner being is not conceited–arrogant and inflated with pride. It is not rude (unmannerly), and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in me) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking. It is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it–pays no attention to a suffered wrong. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. This love in me bears up under anything and everything that comes, is under all circumstances and it endures everything without weakening. God’s love in me never fails. Thank you, Lord, that the motivating force in my life is that I love the brethren. Amen.”
You may feel like a hypocrite when you pray this prayer. But if you will consistently pray this portion of God’s Word, His divine love will begin to flow from your life naturally and easily. Be more concerned in your prayer life about the needs of others than your own; then you will see your problems being perfected in Him.
2) Refuse to react negatively to the unlovely.
Love covers a multitude of sins.
3) Forgive.
Love and unforgiveness cannot operate together.
4) Demonstrate your love in every possible way.
As faith must have actions that correspond, so must love. Love is powerless until acted upon.
God loved. He gave us Jesus. Jesus gave Himself for us. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us to make us like our Father God. We are filled with God’s love. Now go and share it. Wherever there is a need, help to meet it. The more love you give away, the more you have to keep. Christmas is for love.