1 Corinthians 13
Have you ever felt like you failed at love? I have good news! We can GROW in love like we can grow in our faith. When we first came to Christ, we began a process of transformation and a development of spiritual growth. We received the love of God in our new nature (Romans 5:5), but receiving it, yielding to it, and applying it are different things. One indicator of spiritual maturation in the spirit is an increase in our love walk. If we fall, we ask the Father for His grace and forgiveness, and get back up again! Do you have someone challenging your love ability? Be thankful for the opportunity to strengthen your spiritual muscles and choose love! Let’s not condemn ourselves, but keep determined to grow in God’s love. Also, take notice that this chapter on love is in the middle of Paul’s teaching on ministering in the power of the Spirit in ministries, operations, and gifts. He starts this passage following chapter 12 by stating if we do powerful things without love, it means NOTHING. At the end of this chapter Paul says that love is greater than faith and hope. In context, we see that love and power work together. They both are attributes of God and attributes of the spiritually mature Christian.
Proverbs 3-4
There are many things in these chapters that wisdom can do for us when we hear the Word through revelation, receive the Word into our hearts, speak the Word from our mouths, and do the Word through application. Here is just one promise: in Proverbs 4:12 it says, “When you walk your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you shall not stumble.” Verse 11 shows us Solomon was writing about living in paths of righteousness. No matter what hurdles we may face on the journey of faith, when we live in surrendered obedience to God, He helps us to keep moving forward! We may face difficulties, but we keep moving forward. We may have friends that betray or abandon, but we keep moving forward. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, He helps us to run our race and finish our course. He is the prize we are running after, so let’s keep our eyes on the prize and run with wisdom and the Word!
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