LOVE… made personal!

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when a certain subject pops up in your head that you just can’t seem to get rid of?  When every place you go, everything you hear on the radio or see on TV is speaking on that subject?  Well… for the last couple of weeks… that is exactly what has been happening to me!  And believe it or not… that subject has not been Piper… but God’s view on LOVE!

As I may have mentioned earlier this month, I have been reading The Apostle Paul’s definition of Christian LOVE in I Corinthians 13, first thing every morning since the beginning of March.  I’ve been looking at it from various translations and can’t help but have to push myself to finish the short chapter each day, as each verse is jam-packed with both spiritual and natural applications!

Today was no different as I found myself totally absorbed by verse seven and the beginning of the next.  Paul is telling us that,

“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops expecting, never gives up.  Love never comes to an end…”  (God’s Word ©)

When I began to read this section of the chapter this morning, I did so with the preconceived understanding that Paul teaches us in Ephesians 3:19.  Here he explained that by having an intimate and deeply personal knowing of the LOVE of Jesus, we are able to go to places of spiritual understanding that far surpass any natural knowledge and thereby, have the ability to be filled with the fulness of God!*

As I have continued to come to greater understandings of that truth, I see that God’s LOVE is the whole foundation of the Gospel and should also be the base foundation of every Christian’s life and personal application of their faith as well.  Therefore… if LOVE is the very core and foundation of my life… and the Bible declares that the God kind of LOVE is patient, believing, expecting and never gives up or ends… why couldn’t I personalize those statements and bring the point right to my front door by saying that:

“JIM never stops being patient, JIM never stops believing, JIM never stops expecting (God’s best in others as well as in himself), JIM never gives up.  JIM’s LOVE never comes to an end…”  (God’s Word ©/TPT - personalized)

Whoa!  It is hard for me to speak those words out loud and not be AWE-STRUCK by the humbling power of God’s Word convicting me of any and all the times that I may not have acted in LOVE according to those precise definitions!  When I read it that way this morning… it not only brought the point to my front door… but had it come right in and sit down at my desk in the study… right next to me! 

Talk about making His Word upfront and personal!

You think I’m joking?  Here, give it a try and speak the following statement out loud, inserting your name in the blanks…

“______ never stops being patient, ______ never stops believing, ______ never stops expecting (God’s best in others as well as in himself or herself), ______ never gives up.  ______’s LOVE never comes to an end…”  (God’s Word ©/TPT - personalized)

What do ya think?  Pretty powerful wouldn’t you agree!  I’ve decided that I am going to read I Corinthians 13:7-8A this way everyday… and I am expecting some BIG changes in myself!

How about you?  Are you up for a humbling but powerful challenge and change for the better in your life?  I bet that you are!

Let me know how it is going after a few days of this daily confession of your faith!

Have a terrific weekend… and as you do… keep walking in LOVE while EXPECTING God’s best in your life!  Our snow and cold weather blew out as fast as it came in and the white fluff is melting fast!  In fact, today’s views on our morning walk were gorgeous… and we only had to stop a few times to pick the ice out of Fiver’s front paws!

 

*See Ephesians 3:19 in the God’s Word © translation