1. Cor 13 says, ” If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. 8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11. When I was a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. 13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
What God has been teaching me lately is how to love. I thought that I was good in this area and that I have shown love to others quite well. God is now taking me to a deeper level of love that reaches past the surface of the skin, and into the layers of the soul. He has given me a love for the people I minister to and people I come across. I am very thankful for this love and the passion that God has given me. He is like, “Hey John I’m proud that you have a great love for the people, but you forgot one thing, the five other people that serve along side of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Coming on to the race I prayed for a deeper love of people. God has most definitely gave me an opportunity for it. I was praying the other day, ” Lord give me a deeper love. Lord give me a deeper love.” Then he said, “What you are asking for is a feeling and not true love.” God has really shown me that love is a choice and not a feeling. I have to chose to love people everyday, and it starts with my teammates. So far I know I can do a way better job than what I have been doing. It’s partly because of selfishness and partly because we are just so different. None the less, I still need to fight for my team and love them dearly. Sometimes, I let my passion get the best me and my pride get in the way of loving them. That is not good and has not turned out to be so.
The ministry for this month is very time consuming and we really have to go out of our way to spend time with each other. Relationships are really hardwork. I have to make the choice to get everyday when I get up to love people. It occurred to me that I can love those who I minister to all I want, but if I don’t love and spend time with my own teammates I am only false advertising love to people I come across.
