Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- February 19, 2013
Love is not easily angered. 1 Corinthians 13:5
Anger dismisses love in the moment, as hurtful emotional outbursts overwhelm any evidence of love’s presence. However, anger’s most feared enemy is love and forgiveness. Love can handle anger’s influence. It sees anger coming and prepares for its onslaught with a prayer for patience and forgiveness. Tempers are tempered when a culture of love surrounds relationships. Love does not allow anger to make itself at home in a heart that’s been hurt. It avoids anger.
Has the someone who knows you the best hurt you most? Is it hard to love them because your pain screams for retaliation? If so, seek the Lord for an infusion of His fresh fire of love and forgiveness. Your unconditional love is needed most during times when your spirit has been crushed by an unlovely person. Let go of the need to inflict pain on the one who was insensitive to you. Grace and forgiveness are your tools of love that rebuild broken relationships. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. Luke 6:31-33
Your love is a gift you give in exchange for an angry interaction. Rise above petty arguments and model for your mate a mature faith that doesn’t fight back in raw irritation. Because you have been loved supremely by your Savior you lavish the same unrestricted love on those who let you down. You replace an angry attack on your adversary with patient restraint backed by heaven’s unlimited resources. You love much because you have been forgiven much by God.
Let the Lord’s love lead you away from a focus that demands to be right and instead give room for flexibility and restoration. Dismiss the need to get your own way and own the need to love your loved one at their point of need. Like miraculous modern medicine apply the ancient ointment of love to disjointed, even diseased relationships. Remove the cancer of anger with the sharp scalpel of selfless love. The Lord’s love frees your heart to be a fierce lover for Him!
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. Luke 7:47
Prayer: Heavenly Father I receive Your limitless love, so I can aggressively love for You!
Related Readings:Numbers 20:10-12; Psalm 106:32-33; Proverbs 14:17; Matt. 5:22; James 1:19
Post/Tweet today: The Lord’s love frees our heart to be a fierce lover for Him. #love
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GREAT thought for today. I needed this today.
Learning.