LOVE IN YOUR HOME, Pt 4, No. 500
LOVE IN YOUR HOME
Part 4
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is heaven”
(Matthew 5:44, 45).
More adjectives for you today:
- INCREASING Love (1 Thessalonians 3:12).
“The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.” Our love should always be increasing, not diminishing.
- KIND Love (1 Corinthians 13:4 and Proverbs 31:26).
“Love is very kind” (Moffat). Love does kind things. Love speaks kind words. Love gives. Love gives tangible gifts but also gives reassurance, encouragement, smiles, and cuddles. Perhaps the biggest gift love gives is time. Time is a love gift. “Love ever gives, forgives, outlives, and while it lives, it gives! For this is love’s prerogative, to give and give and give!”
- KNITTING TOGETHER Love (Colossians 2:2).
God wants us “to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love” (NLT). This is what we strive for in our family life. We make every decision in the light of knitting us together more as a family. If our plans are going to fragment the family, we don’t do them. We do what knits us together as a complete family.
- LABORING Love (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Love is not just a feeling. It is action. It is work. Hard work that makes us weary. Dear mother, do you sometimes feel you are over worked? Tired beyond measure? Be encouraged. Working hard for your home and family shows your love for them.
Your work is not in vain. Hebrews 6:10 says: “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God sees you working hard for your family. He does not forget. All your “love works” in your home will reap an eternal reward.
1 John 3:18 reminds us again: “My little children let us not love in word neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” The word “deed” is ergon, the same word used for “home workers” in Titus 2:5 which means “to toil.”. It’s not enough to say, “I love you” to our husbands and children. We must back it up with our “labor of love.”
A great family challenge for this love quality is to encourage each member in the family to do something for someone else in the family that takes hard work (or at least a little extra work). Remember: “Work is love and love is work!”
- LONGSUFFERING AND PATIENT Love (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7).
Longsuffering means “to be long-spirited, to endure patiently, and to exercise patience towards people.” How easy it is to get impatient with those we love. They don’t come up to our standards. They take so long to do something. They can’t grasp what we are trying to teach them. They exasperate us. But God’s agape love is full of patience.
James 5:7-10 illustrates the farmer who has “long patience” to wait for the harvest of the seed he planted. In the same way, we often have to have long patience as we wait to see God work in those we love. Keep sowing the seeds and you are guaranteed a harvest.
Instead of getting impatient, claim the promise of Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Each new day, thank the Lord for the good work He is doing in your husband and your children.
- NEVER GIVING UP Love (John 13:1 and 2 Corinthians 12:15).
Jesus loved “unto the end” and He wants us to do the same.
- NON-PROVOKING Love (1 Corinthians 13:5-6).
“Love is not easily angered or resentful” (NET).
- PERFECT Love (1 John 4:18).
“Perfect love casts out fear.” Perfect agape love enables to love without fearing.
- POLITE Love (1 Corinthians 13:5).
“Love . . . is not rude” (NET). Ask your children to give you feedback on how they can be polite love to one another. Ask them how they feel when their siblings are impolite to them?
PRAYER:
“Thank You, Father for revealing to me what Your love means. I know so little of it in my human nature. Please pour Your Holy Spirit into me and teach me how to pour out Your love to my husband and family. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
My challenge: To love fervently, earnestly, deeply, heartily, intensely, passionately, unselfishly, and wholeheartedly!
Did you know, I am now doing a podcast for you each week called FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell? I know you will be blessed and encouraged. Go to www.aboverubies.org and you’ll see the icon. Or go to http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com