“The Greatest Commandment is______________.”

 I’m certain if I asked for a show of hands of those who can finish this verse…we would all have our hands in the air.  Yes…the answer is LOVE THE LORD GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LOVE OTHERS.

If you have spent any time reading God’s Word, you are undoubtedly familiar with the “love chapter” found in I Corinthians 13.  In this chapter, God teaches us the most valuable life lesson we can learn—what true love really is.  God teaches us to “put on love” in Colossians 3:14. That means we make a conscious choice to love God and others and to walk in this love. It is a choice we make every moment of every day of our lives.

 We use the word love in so many different ways.  We love ice cream, we love our pets, we love the Cardinals, we love going on vacation and, of course, we love our families.  Now that we are in the month of February, we are inundated with “symbols” of love—cupids, hearts, poems, cards, boxes of candy, balloons, etc.  But, we need to know how God, the author of true love, defines what love really is—that is the only love that will produce eternal changes.

 In 1 Corinthians 13, God teaches us how true love should be displayed in our everyday lives. (I’m going to focus on verses 4–5).

 I Corinthians 13:4–5 says “Love is patient (it endures, shows self-restraint, not giving way to anger), love is kind (is generous, having concern for others without expectation of praise in return).  It does not envy (does not resent someone else’s possessions/qualities), it does not boast (always talking about one’s own possessions, abilities, achievements) it is not prideful (displaying a high opinion of oneself).  It does not dishonor (disgrace, discredit, humiliate) others, it is not self-seeking (putting our own needs/welfare before others), it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs (to keep bringing up past behaviors/actions for the sake of shaming them). 

 If you will notice…God spends a lot of this verse teaching us what love ISN’T.  Why? The list of “do nots” has something in common—they are qualities/traits that put our focus on us not God.  In order for us to display God’s true love, we must first get our focus off ourselves and put it squarely on God.

 First, love is to be patient.  I’m sure if we are all honest, this is sometimes hard to display in our everyday lives.  It is an area that God continues to grow me.  I pray for patience…and then someone cuts in front of me in a line of traffic and that patience that I have been praying for God to cultivate in me somehow immediately flies out the window.  Why?  Because I took my eyes off God and put them on me instead.  I made a choice to display my “me-first” attitude instead of God’s love.  Being first in traffic has no eternal value.  The opportunity to pray for that person may have lasting benefits if instead of reacting with anger, I react with prayer for their salvation, safety and that God would bless them and show Himself to them today.  That action would bring a lot more peace into my life instead of frustration and bitterness.

 Second, love is to be kind.  When you have a moment to spend with someone, do they walk away feeling blessed, encouraged, uplifted and genuinely loved because of the time they just spent with you? Did they sense a true concern and interest in what is going on in their lives or did they just listen to you grumble, gripe and complain about what is going on in yours?   I pray daily that even in the few brief moments I might have with someone that they will sense the presence of Jesus and see the difference He makes in my life.  Genuine godly love and kindness will draw people to Jesus. Let our actions and our words always be kind, tender and full of love and mercy. 

 Third, to show God’s genuine love, we must not be envious, boastful, proud or self-seeking. When we display the characteristics on that list, it is a sad commentary that says we want people to notice us—not Jesus in us.

 Fourth, these next two may be the hardest for me.  God’s love is not easily angered…and it keeps NO record of wrongs.  Whew…sometimes that can be so hard for me!  I can honestly say it takes quite a bit to get me angered, but it’s not a pretty sight when I finally get there!  The words I speak and the “looks” I can give definitely do not let Jesus shine through me.  I know if I struggle with it, there are others reading this who are shaking their heads thinking, “Yep, I can relate.”  It brings to mind the saying, “whatever is inside a bottle will spill out when that bottle is tipped over.”  What a true statement that is of our lives!  Anger is definitely a heart issue—what is in my heart will come spilling out when someone pushes against me.

  I am a “just give me the bottom line” kind of person and so I love the book of James because he does just that.  In James 1:19–20, God tells us “my dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and SLOW to become angry, (WHY???) because human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.” You see, producing God’s righteousness in my life becomes easier when my heart is right, and my focus is on God—not me.  I NEVER want to be a deterrent to someone who doesn’t know Jesus.  No temper tantrum is worth hurting my testimony about Jesus in me. I want people to see the difference He makes in me—and being angry about issues that don’t mean a thing in the realm of eternity makes it hard for them to see the difference He is making.

 I feel like there is so much hate, anger, and division in our world today, and sadly even among believers, that I have to ask—are we (am I) making an impact for Christ in our world?  Are we (am I) a living, breathing testimony of Jesus’ love?  Or is the world hard pressed to tell the difference in our lives based on what they witness daily in our words, actions, and the love of Christ we display?  I pray it is not the latter.  We must continually grow by being in God’s Word daily.  If we are going to imitate Christ and mirror His love to those around us, then we must know intimately how much He loves us. Begin by asking the Holy Spirit to impart wisdom, understanding and discernment as you read about God’s love.  Then as you move about the world around you, let your life be a demonstration of that love. May our goal and our challenge this year be to love others to a saving relationship with Jesus.  Let’s make a true eternal difference in our world.

Ok….I know….strange title for a blog, but I think a periodical check on how our Spiritual Fruit is maturing is a necessity for all Christians.  Let’s take a moment and read Galatians 5:22-23 and just remind ourselves what fruit God has commanded us to cultivate in our lives.   

 Galatians 5:22 -23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

 When we review this list, we are reminded of who Jesus is—for He displays all of them.  It is not a “laundry list” of things to work on when we become a Christian—these will become our characteristics the closer we grow to Christ.  We will begin to reflect Him and His characteristics (fruit) in our everyday lives. 

 Galatians 2:20:

“For we have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us”

 If this fruit is to be evident in our lives, I believe it is important that we understand the nature of each one and how it is displayed in our lives. I am going to quote from a commentary out of my Bible, by David Jeremiah, because I think he presents it so clearly.  My words will be those written in italics.

 Love: This is the greatest of all virtues (I Corinthians 13:13), love is the power that moves us to respond to someone’s needs with no expectation of reward.  This type of love is unconditional, given because Christ first loved us, not because it is earned or deserved. It is not an emotion, but a decision overflowing from the love Christ has for us. When we have Christ in us and we are daily walking with Him, His love will be evident in everything we do – how we think, speak and act.

 Joy:  An inward hope and enthusiasm, despite outward circumstances.  Joy differs from happiness, which relies on favorable circumstances.  Is it any wonder that Christians are so often all over the place with our emotions?  Our level of joy is a barometer that reveals what we are truly placing our hope in...God or in the world around us.  The world continually watches us to see how we handle the trials and tribulations that come our way—to see if the God we talk about really does makes a difference in our lives when the going gets rough. Do they see us grumbling, complaining, down in the dumps or full of joy that is rooted in God?  We will have that constant hope and joy as we faithfully put our trust in our God….and our God alone.

 Peace: Both a supernatural calm amid chaos and the ability to bring harmony to divided factions. I’m going to out on a limb here and say that right now, I believe the world is in great need of Christian folks who will bring calm amid chaos and harmony to divided factions.  Sadly, I am so often seeing quite the opposite being displayed on social media.  I have read comments made by Christians that have truly hurt my heart. Please do not misunderstand, I believe we need to stand firmly rooted in God’s Word on issues that are being presented, but we need to make sure we are always reflecting Christ in our choice of words when we do so. Pray before speaking.  God has taken me to two scriptures of late when I have been tempted to respond to posts on Facebook.

 I John 4: 4-6: “You dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world and the world listens to them.  We are from God and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  This is how we recognize the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”

 2 Timothy 2: 24-25 “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome – but kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed.”

 In both instances, God clearly told me my attitude was not right before Him and not to respond. I know when my attitude is not reflecting Christ – no good thing will come out of my mouth and will cause more harm than good.

 Patience:  The quiet willingness to accept irritating or painful situations.   Remember in every situation  our God is in control and unless, after spending time in prayer, He clearly tells you to respond, be willing to let things go and patiently wait for God to work through it.

 Kindness: Generosity and consideration toward others.  This is not just referring to money or things but in our behavior towards others—whether we think they deserve our kindness or not. A kind word spoken at just the right moment can have long-lasting effects in someone’s life, a card sent letting someone know you have been thinking about them and praying for them can lift someone out of a dark hole they may be in at that point of their life, or just a smile and a how are you doing when you pass someone in the store. We never know by looking at someone what they may be going through, sometimes all they need is a kind word or a listening ear.

 Goodness:  Moral excellence. Another definition of goodness is righteousness in action—doing what is right, an uprightness of heart and life. In the life of a Christian, that means doing what is right in God’s eyes, turning your attention from yourself to others, placing the needs of others before your own, being honest in all that you say and do, letting Jesus’ character shine through you.  Pray to always let others not just see you—but to see Jesus in you.  Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.”  Everything we do should be motivated by loving people to Christ.

 Faithfulness: An enduring loyalty and trustworthiness.  I like the definition that Wikipedia has: “faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice—regardless of extenuating circumstances.”  If we are truly living for Christ, this is a characteristic that should be so evident in our lives. God is constantly faithful to us—without wavering. I know beyond any doubt, I can trust my God and that does not change depending on the circumstances I’m in or the trial that I’m going through….or whether I understand what God is doing or allowing to happen in my life. I trust Him because He is faithful to His promises and He is God….I am not.  If He says it, I trust it.  Can that be said of us?  Are we as Christians known for our word?  Can people say of you—if he/she said that, you can count on it?  Are we unshakable in our faithfulness to telling this lost world about our Jesus….even when it looks like it is not making a difference?

 Gentleness: The power to control your reactions to difficult people and situations…never to be confused with weakness (gentleness is a strong hand with a soft touch).  Philippians 4:5: “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”  In short….be reasonable, do not be so concerned about unimportant matters that cause you to get into arguments and take the risk of hurting your testimony.  A great guideline to use is to always ask yourself—in the realm of eternity, is this really going to matter?  If the answer is no, step back!  When we do find ourselves in a discussion with someone, are our words kind, considerate, filled with compassion and mercy and never displaying a superior attitude.  Someone who is gentle wants to help others…even if the person they are helping has hurt them in some way.

 Self-control: The ability to restrain inappropriate passions and appetites.  While I agree with that definition, it is so much more.  The big area I see that we as Christ followers need to have self-control is our words.  God has given me the opportunity to do and teach Bible Studies on our words and how they can impact those around us.  Words are such a powerful tool—they are how we express what is in our heart.  When my words are pleasing to God, they will build up, encourage, and point people to Christ.  When my words are being spoken out of my flesh, they tear down, discourage, belittle, complain, and do not glorify God.  Which do your words do? If you’re like me, I have to be honest and say both.  It is an area where God is continuing to grow me into the person He wants me to be.  I really want to be the person that when I walk away, people feel like they have been encouraged and lifted up.  I want them to see my Jesus in my words—how much He loves them and that He cares about them. But, so many times in my own pridefulness and my lack of self-control, I say words that hurt those around me and definitely hurt my testimony of Jesus in my life.  I’m so grateful God is patient with me.

 So how do we get to the point in our spiritual journeys where this fruit is consistently evident in our lives?  We continue to grow one day at a time.  Just as a plant that remains connected to the vine will continue to be healthy and grow…so do we as we remain connected to Jesus.  Just as you have to water and take care of a plant to keep it healthy, this growth takes place when we are consistently studying God’s Word, and then choosing to live it out in our lives.  On this side heaven we will always be faced with a choice—to do what our flesh wants or what God wants.  Our fruit grows and matures when we chose God first in everything we think, say and do.

 The world so desperately needs Jesus and Christians who display His characteristics everywhere we go.  I believe our time to reach the lost with the Good News of Jesus Christ is growing shorter and shorter.  We do not have any time to waste on foolish arguments that will not matter in eternity. 

 Let’s walk through our world displaying our Lord and Savior Jesus in our lives—that’s what will make a difference for eternity!