Last week I posted about praying about a change in our characters and asking God to help us bear the fruits of the Spirit. When I was looking at that verse, two thoughts came to my mind: 1) Why do I constantly struggle with bearing these fruits of the spirit? 2) Why did the verse start with love?
Then I remembered 1 Corinthians 13:13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. Then it hit me that even though I have been praying for God to cleanse me and to renew my heart that I might bear these fruits, I had been missing something in my prayers.
What is it that was leading me to be constantly praying and not seeing a change in myself?
“…the greatest of these is LOVE”
The Bible clearly shows that God is love…not “I feel for you so I love you” love. Not “I understand what you are going through and I love you” love. It is more than this…infinitely more than this.
You see God is Agape, all for the other and none of self love. Everything he does is selfless. Selflessness is what real love is and that is God. So when the fruits of the Spirit began with LOVE, it was not beginning with some temporal love that we humans demonstrate at times. It was beginning with that agape love, which is eternal...it was beginning with turning our minds back to God, for God is love.
So then I realized that the thing I should be praying for is not primarily the other fruits of the spirit, but I should be pouring out my heart over receiving the greatest thing ever-love. And not some abstract notion of love, but rather the very essence of love, the very fountain of love…I should be praying for God to come in and give me this love, which is giving me Himself! Then and only then, can all these other fruits be added to me, because I have received the greatest gift there is-God! Let us all pray for God to come in an bring in His love which will usher in joy, peace, long suffering,…
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Oh, if we could all learn to love with the Agape love that God loves us with – the world would be such a great place. One day we will have that. Kim
Amen! Looking forward to that glorious day!
So true…if we seek to have God’s love in our hearts, we will automatically begin to conform to His image. It’s like the Greatest Commandment–loving the Lord with all of our hearts automatically leads to loving our neighbors and obeying all of the other commands.
Yes, exactly Gail. When we begin with God all other things will fall in place!
…”What is it that was leading me to be constantly praying and not seeing a change in myself?”
You hit the nail on the head! Thanks.
This is a good reminder. Thanks for sharing it!
Tina @ Mommynificent
Love that God has already poured out his love in our hearts, so we can share it (Rom 5:5)
Posted our momma notes tonight. A day late. But it works. So hoping you can come and join. Share your words. your encouragement. your anything mom.
Just moms. Sharing our notes. Creating a melody.
http://justsarahdawn.blogspot.com/2013/07/syllable-by-syllable.html