You may look at that and wonder what does that mean? You can read this and ask how do I do that? You may find this and wonder how that can make me thrive?
Well, let’s get started with places in God’s Word where we are told to love one another:
- ‘I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. ‘ John 13:34
- ‘By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” ‘ John 13:35
- ‘Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. ‘ 1 Peter 4:8
- ‘For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through love serve and seek the best for one another. ‘ Galatians 5:13
- ‘Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.’ Ephesians 4:32
- ‘ “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. ‘ John 15:12
- ‘Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. ‘ Luke 6:31
- ‘Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]. ‘ 1 John 3:18
- ‘Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another. ‘ 1 John 4:11
- There are many more you can find here: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/love-one-another-bible-verses
We must demonstrate our love for God by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ! ‘And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him.’ 1 John 4:21
We must be people who are known for and identified by love! There are people who have grouped together my many different characteristics but we are to be grouped together and known by our love! Jesus calls us to be people who have a single and sole identifying factor which is love! We are to be people who are known by love, nothing else because we are followers of Jesus and believers in God and so when people see us thriving they see people who go about loving one another! We are to be the people of Acts 2 who were described as ‘And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. ‘ Acts 2:44-45
We are to be people who love like Jesus! Jesus who we know loves unconditionally (‘But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ‘ Romans 5:8), sacrificially (‘He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].’ 2 Corinthians 5:21), forgivingly (‘Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.’ Ephesians 4:32), and eternally (‘Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Romans 8:37-39).
So let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit and choosing to obey the instructions and directions of the Holy Spirit who has come to guide us into all the truth that is the full and complete truth (see John 16:13)! Let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit in us to confirm our relationship with God! Let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit to help us be overcomers (see Galatians 5:16)! Let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit to help us to share the good news of Jesus boldly with the world around us (see Acts 1:8)! Let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can remember and walk in His teaching (see John 14:26)! Let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can be set apart and made holy through Him (see 1 Corinthians 6:11)! Let’s live our lives thriving by walking our lives filled with the Holy Spirit so that He can intercede for us when we don’t know what to do or say (see Romans 8:26)! He “reveals God’s truth to us“, “convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment“, “fills believers with boldness so they can preach the salvation message“, “prays for us when we don’t know what to pray“, “implants fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) into our lives and then grows it into a harvest.“, “gives spiritual gifts (wisdom, knowledge, faith, and others) for the church’s edification“, and “give glorify Jesus and reveal his kingdom to the world until his return“!
So let’s pause and reflect on God’s definition of love from 1 Corinthians 13:
‘Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away. ‘
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Since God is love, we can replace the word or references above to love with God. Let’s be people who are choosing and deciding to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us so that we can thrive by becoming more and more like God’s love so that one day we can replace the word or reference to love with our own names! Try it out and see if the Holy Spirit gives you times or examples and opportunities to work on your ability to love:
[Your name] endures with patience and serenity, [Your name] is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; [Your name] does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. [Your name] is not rude; [Your name] is not self-seeking, [Your name] is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; [Your name] does not take into account a wrong endured. [Your name] does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. [Your name] bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. [Your name] never fails [it never fades nor ends].
So as we head into our various versions of today, let’s choose to be known by our love and to love one another!
Scripture for Today:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
https://www.bible.com/verse-of-the-day
1 JOHN 4:7 (NIV)
Read 1 John 4
Matthew 1:21 – And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. . . . #verse #dailyverse #hope #bibleverse #bible #biblequotes https://t.co/ISLI7NjgKd https://t.co/VmJFZQslTB
https://www.spirit1053.com/daily-verse/
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
https://www.klove.com/ministry/verse-of-the-day/
Isaiah 40:29 (NLT) – Read Full Chapter
Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
https://www.air1.com/ministry/verse-of-the-day
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT) – Full Chapter
Today’s Post from BeTheDads.com:
Where are you at? What are you going through? How are you dealing with it? Who is helping and who is hindering? Why? Choose today to invite Jesus into your heart! Choose today to invite Jesus into your life! Choose today to invite the Holy Spirit to be your comforter and your guide to help give you the wisdom and discernment you need for the day and help to correct and direct the path you are walking down today!
If you pray the following prayer with me feel free to let me know so I can pray with you and for you too. (If you don’t feel comfortable leaving a comment then you can always try email.
Let’s Pray!
God's story through my life from 2005 to eternity... 