Category Archives: Love

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JUST WALK

1 THESSALONIANS 4:1 

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.  

My granddaughter just learned to walk. One week she’s crawling and pulling up to stuff and the next…she’s off to the races. She looked so funny trying to get her balance and take those steps. And she looked so different standing upright, rather than crawling. Her walking changed the way she looked and acted. 

Hmmmm! That might just apply to us. Think about it. How we walk with Christ affects how we appear to others. How balanced we are in our strides can either influence others to follow us or run from us. Our walk does affect others, whether we want to admit it or not. 

APPLICATION 

Do you remember the hours you spent teaching your little Elrod or Gertrude to walk? Holding their little hands as they took their first steps. Following close behind in case they stumbled. Picking them up and drying the tears when they fell. All of those are part of helping them learn to walk. You wouldn’t have dreamed of letting them do it all on their own. 

It’s the same way with their walk in Christ. We have to hold their hand, guard against stumbles and pick them up and dry the tears when they fail. The difference between learning to physically walk and spiritually walk is eternal. Their spiritual walk will determine where they spend eternity.  

How are you doing as a parent in guiding your child’s walk? How is your walk? Paul is imploring us to walk and please God, just as he was encouraging the Thessalonians. Does your walk please God? If not, change course or change strides. Just walk to please Him. 

Walking with You, Lord, is a pleasant thing. Sometimes You take me on paths I don’t want to go, but I trust You. I will surrender to You today and allow You to point out the way. 

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MORE THAN ENOUGH


1 THESSALONIANS 3:12

“and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;” 

Paul is making a wish here – that the Thessalonians would increase and abound in love. Now, even though this was a wish he hoped to see come true, it was a pretty, sure wish. Paul had confidence that they would do just what he hoped. Why? Because he knew their love first hand. He had experienced  their love. He knew they were quite capable.

These two words, “increase” and “abound,” mean very similar things. They can both mean more than enough, overflowing or abundant. Paul was simply trying to overemphasize the point to them. But it is important to remember that they could only “overflow” what was in them. This love came from an unending source – God.

APPLICATION

Tell me this – do you ever run out of love for your children? Of course, not. And let me tell you, it’s even more true with your grandchildren. I have four (as of this writing), and the love I have for them just gets stronger each day. I don’t have that capacity in myself. Any love I feel for anyone comes from the love the Father has shown me.

I want to challenge you to let that love you have for family extend to your church family, to your neighbors and even to strangers. Teach your children to love abundantly. Teach them to overflow with love. Show them what that looks like, not just to them but with others. 

If you will commit to love like that, you will experience an even deeper love of the Father. I know the Lord is well pleased when we love well. When He sees His love poured out on others through us, He smiles. After all, He still uses us to spread His Word and His love on this earth.

God of love, thank You for using me to love others. Help me to love those whom I find it hard to love. You can love them through me.

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