FAITH HOPE AND LOVE, BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS “LOVE”

Love is the very essence of our existence, we are placed on this earth for only one purpose and that is to demonstrate love. It should be every one of our lives mission to demonstrate love to anyone and everyone around us. 1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  1 Timothy 4:12 let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Introduction Paul told Timothy not to let anyone look down at his youth fullness and for him to do that, he must in speech show an example to others. I love to read the bible, Gods word is so rich to me and this is my greatest learning tool on this earth. I can pick up Gods amazing word and find any answer to any life question that I have. The bible in Matt 5:18 says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The real you are found in your speech. The words you used and the content of your conversation will cause others to think badly or highly of you. That is why in order to rise up to a new level of respectability we need to conquer the evil of the tongue and put it to death. To put the tongue to death we need to change the Heart. (Matt 5:18) Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. We must remember the gift of forgiveness is simply a choice and If your heart is filled with bitterness then your speech will show that bitterness. If your heart is filled with criticisms, then your speech will naturally be critical. Have you been with such a person before? Such a person has something to criticize against everything and everyone and if your heart is filled with rejection then your speech will reflect that sense of rejection. I do believe that it is very important to know that in-order to conquer the evil of the tongue; you need to have a change of heart. We should be real careful of the hateful things we say to others and we should recognize our speech, which are very potent with our tongues and we can do major damage in relationships by the things we say and do to others.  The bible speaks strongly against speech, which are potent. Colossians 3:8-9 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

The vulgar tongue (Ephesians 4:29, Col 3:8)
The lying tongue (Col 3:9)
The gossipy tongue (Prov 18:8)
The slandering tongue
The flattering tongue
The critical tongue
The angry tongue

We should always speak edification and not destruction (Proverbs 18:21)
Words are powerful. They either encourage or devastate a person. That is why some words stick in your mind long after the incident and it affects you. In your speech be guided by one general principle: Am I edifying? Ephesians 4:29 talks about things like name-calling, jokes that are carried out too far, exaggerations, and rubbing salt in a wound. In Luke we are commanded to Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind’ and we are also to ‘Love our neighbor as ourselves. Love is not only the essence of our existence, but is also the essence of our spirituality.  Love is our greatest witness. 1 John 4:8 tells us that whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This means that God is incapable of anything but love. We must remember that fear and love can not work together, but faith, hope and love can. Love drives out fear…This morning in my Church www.mountparan.com my pastor Dr. David Cooper addressed this very important subject. This is one of the greatest messages I have ever herd and I would suggest all of you who are reading my blog, to go and watch Dr. Cooper speak on such an important subject…as a matter of fact, love is the most important subject in the world. I loved the fact that Dr. Cooper talked about the three angles of Love. Affection, Attitude and Action.

Love Shows Affection: It is a fact that any relationship thrives on love, trust and acceptance of each other's plusses and drawbacks. Affection is something special we all crave for in a relationship. If there is no affection in a relationship, the relationship cannot thrive or ultimately survive. A strong foundation is what it takes for an intimate relationship to survive. Men tend to be more on the impulsive side and possibly oblivious to the consequences that their actions or inactions might be causing. Where-as women tend to over think a situation and as a result demand more from the men in their lives assuming many times that they will instinctively know what is needed to make the relationship work. It turns into an emotional tug of war where nobody wins. All it takes is for one in a relationship to stop being affectionate and the relationship does not have a future. Whether you are dating or married, showing affection will enhance and further your relationship. Showing affection to your loved one brings trust, happiness, love, and romance. The easiest ways are by the feeling of touch. Touch heightens the senses and stimulates us. Both men and women need affection, so here are some ideas for you to be affectionate with your loved one. Stop the daily craziness and smile at each other throughout the day. Look at each other with love and admiration and speak to each other in calm, happy tones. Each time you exchange a smile; remind yourself of how lucky you are to have this person in your life. Try to overlook the small, petty stuff that people tend to bicker about Most of all; don’t forget to say "I love you," or tell your spouse or lover that they are “wonderful” or “beautiful” When you compliment your spouse it reaffirms to them that they are important to you. Always be sincere and try to look for the positive.Touching or stroking his or her face and cheek. Run your fingers through their hair. A truly great kiss from your loved one will often have these elements; use them willingly, liberally and as often as you can. Hold hands when you are walking or sitting together. Stroke their hand while you talk and/or kiss their fingers. Actions like this confirm to your loved one that you are there for them. Hug each other often and in various ways: give big goodbye hugs, sweet comforting hugs, and cuddly playful hugs. We often forget how good a hug makes someone else feel. Easy to do and speaks volumes. Our busy lives often dictate what we do and how we do it. Take the time to thank your spouse who’s busy in the kitchen or perhaps working outside. These small moments are the glue that can hold a couple together during difficult times. Kiss each other sweetly on the lips, face, hair, hands, and any other body part. Remember to keep it sweet; it’s important not to be aggressive, overly playful or sensuous. Make it count; it’s about connecting with your mate on a deeper level. O ya, Just a note to men: if you follow the rules and show your affection genuinely and openly, chances are that your partner will be much more aroused and receptive anyway. Cuddle with each other on the couch while watching TV or reading, in the car, at the movie theater, in bed, and any other place you feel comfortable. Softly rub your lover’s back, arm, or neck while driving, hugging, kissing, cooking, eating, etc. Massages are a great way to give back to your partner. Don’t forget to stock up on a variety massage oils; they are plentiful and easy to find at any department store, drug store or erotica shop.
 

Love Shows Attitude: As you begin to slow down your life, reorder your priorities, become more watchful, and gain freedom from the chains of your likes and dislikes, you will also begin to see changes taking place in your relationships. It is selfless relationships that lead us to happiness and a life close to God. This is what Christ meant when He asked us to love our neighbor as ourselves. You cannot act as an isolated being and be close to God. When you dwell on yourself you only build a wall between yourself, others and God. Those who insist on thinking about their own needs, their wants, plans and ideas only become lonely and feel insecure. They separate themselves from God. A powerful approach to learning to love is to practice putting others first. You can begin with your own family and close friends and coworkers. As you try to understand the needs of your spouse or best friend, and to begin to consider their needs before you insist on your own, you will find that you move closer together. This kind of action weakens the negative aspect of your ego-centeredness and opens deeper relationships with others. There is a ripple effect that begins with your closest relationships. As your closest relationships grow, you will find that those further removed will also grow closer. Your love ripples outward. At the same time you will find yourself growing closer to God. So, begin this practice with those who are closest to you. Most of us find that we are all puffed up by our ego. We see the world based on what we like and dislike. We think everyone has the same hopes and fears, likes and dislikes that we do. Too often we expect others to behave just like ourselves. But, when they don’t and they expect us to act the way they do, we run into conflicts. This is the reality of the world. Try to allow yourself to think in the way others think, to appreciate their likes and dislikes, to look at things from their perspective. Then you will find that your relationships blossom. The block to knowing God is the same as the one that blocks us from loving others. It is our self-will. We grow spiritually when we learn how to eliminate our self-will. This is the aim of putting others first. This is the example that Christ has set out before us. This is the accomplishment of the Saints of the Church. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “If you want to find your life, you have to lose it.” One of the two great commandments He gave us is to love our neighbor as yourself. Why? Because, he wants us to be able to love Him. God is present in all of us and when we love each other we are loving God. It is through our love of others that we can come to know the love of God. The ability to put others first demands patience–a calm and controlled mind. This virtue only comes with a disciplined life based on a foundation of daily prayer where you gain strength to control your passions and get beyond your own likes and dislikes. Continually ask for God’s mercy and His help to overcome your self-willed nature. When you are patient and able to think of the needs of others, an unkind word will not agitate you and trigger anger. As you become more watchful and your life more ordered, then you can support others even when they are angry with you. You can practice putting others first even at work. Learn to accept that others may have good ideas even if they are different from your own. When you no longer expect everyone to be and think like yourself, and when you recognize their likes and dislikes without judgment, you will begin to build loving relationships at work. In fact, work is a great place to get rid of the sharp edges of your personality. As you learn to love in the work environment, your example will be seen by others for the benefit of all. Some will say that putting others first will only make you like a door mat and subject you to abuse. This is not what putting others first is about. You do not automatically say yes to everything others want. What we are saying is to put the other person’s welfare before your own desires, not necessarily all their wants. There are times when it is in the best interests of the other person to say no. And there are other times when we say yes even when it goes against one of our own desires, because we know it is what is best for them. This is the essence of godly love. You are putting others first when the other person’s welfare means more than your own desires. It is like the love a mother naturally has for her infant child. This is the sacrifice that Christ made on the Cross. He willingly gave His own life for our salvation. Often in a relationship it is necessary to say “no” when we know it is not in the best interests of the other person and “yes” when it does not meet our own desires. You can also mend broken relationships with love. It is the act of forgiveness that is the most powerful healing power. Forgiveness makes both parties whole. When you forgive those who have done wrong to you, you also forgive yourself for your wrongs of the past. This brings up another benefit we have in the Church, the sacrament of Confession. In this sacrament you can ask God to cleanse you of all your past transgressions, all the cases where you were not able to control you passions and master your self-centeredness. In this sacrament not only are you cleansed by the Holy Spirit but you also gain spiritual advice, a penance, to help you overcome the passion that you find most difficult to control. When you “clear the deck,” when you humble yourself before God and admit your weaknesses, you open yourself to become more understanding of the struggles of others and become more willing to forgive them. As you forgive others you are more able to forgive yourself. As you do this you will find you are more able to put others first. The result is that we all come closer to God.

Love Shows Action:  1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18  Love is something you do. Do you really love someone? Let’s see how you act toward that person. You show love by what you do, not just by what you feel. Love is more than attraction and more than arousal. It’s also more than sentimentality, like so many of today’s songs suggest. By this standard, is love dead when the emotion is gone? No, not at all. Because love is an action; love is a behavior. Over and over again, in the Bible, God commands us to love each other. And you can’t command an emotion. If I told you “Be sad!” right now, you couldn’t be sad on cue. Just like an actor, you can fake it, but you’re not wired for your emotions to change on command. Have you ever told a little kid, “Be happy!” I’m trying, daddy! If love were just an emotion, then God couldn’t command it. But love is something you do. It can produce emotion, but love is an action. The Bible says, “Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions” 1 John 3:18. We can talk a good act: “I love people.” But do we really love them? Do you really love them? Our love is revealed in how we act toward them. So I will end it like this, don’t look to hate one another, look to love each other, when we make the choice to love, and remember it is a choice, we are inviting good things in to our live, good positive feeling, and Hate is just the opposite. This of someone who is seeking revenge on another person, all they are doing is simply drinking poison that hurts them self why believing that the person they are hating is going to die by the poison that they are drinking? That is so ridiculous; it is the person with the hate who is miserable, not the person being hated. Love is an attitude of forgiveness, not an attitude of revenge. Now this does not mean that you have to be best friends with your old friends, ex-lovers, ex-husband, or ex-wife, but in order for you to move on, you can relieve your self of the hate so you can live a happy life. Hate really is very negative for the body, mind, soul and spirit, remember that the bible tells us to pray for our enemies.  Matthew 5:44 says; But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. I know it sounds so hard right, but the blessings pay great dividends and you will be a much happier person once you practice true love in all aspects of your life. So I will leave it like this, there is no such thing as love with out feeling. Jesus was moved by compassion, and more of us should do our best to show compassion, kindness and love to others, so the next time you find your self at the cross roads between love and hate, choose love my friends. You will never win with hate, but you will always win with “LOVE” ~ Donnie Bolena