Word for the day “Learning to love is a game changer”
Corinthians 16:13 (NLT) Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. [c] Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
LEARNING HOW TO DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE.
Almost every person has at least one person they love, but we all also have a person we deeply resent or despise. In fact, sometimes the person you love can also be the same person you despise. It could be a parent, spouse, sibling, boss, rebellious child, neighbor, friend, or sometimes even God. Who is that person for you? Living in a love-hate relationship isn’t easy. It requires some very complicated and refined coping skills.
The problem, however, is that too many people go on, day after day, merely coping with the situation. Either they’re unaware that they can do more than cope, or they are unwilling to do what is necessary to move forward constructively. Those resigned to merely cope with the situation are not happy people. Whether they stay in the relationship or leave, they render themselves powerless to change. They lose faith in the power of God to change the situation. They give up on prayer as a means to facilitate change.
THE PROCESS OF HOW TO LIVE, AND LOVE IS CHALLENGING.
Maturity, both physical and spiritual, is developed over a period of time. Just as the human body goes through changes to reach maturity, God puts us through a process to get us spiritually mature. It’s been my experience that God does this through tests and trials. God has a plan in mind concerning our lives and understands why we must go through the process to that end.
One of the hardest things to learn about God’s love is that it sometimes causes us pain. Not necessarily in a physical sense or in a way that we might expect. But an emotional pain that is directly connected to our personal maturation and that’s needed. Because this form of love is not what we expect, we resist and begin to resent and even become distressed with God. We will experience a very similar process in our relationships with spouses, family, and friends.
So, I encourage you today to work through your love and hate-relationships until you are able to make authentic informed decisions. Please remember this can take some time and go through a process, but be advised that “love wins” whether things go as you hoped or not.
POINT TO PONDER
Always remember to incorporate prayer, but also remember our challenge goes beyond prayer:
The beginning of a solution rests in your decisions-your decision to do something and take action.
Set boundaries that incorporate respect, honesty, and truth.
Move forward by taking actionable steps: See a counselor join a group, confront in love, and God will do the rest.
Be certain your life is aligned with God in this process.
Making destiny decisions based on solely your feelings can be a disaster.
Learning to love is a game changer.
Special thanks!
James Baker, Jr. and our leadership team are especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in the month of October 2022, by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Ms. Annette Straker, Mr. Kenneth Washington, Ms. Itholear Abbott, Mrs. Barbara Mason, Ms. Jeanette Grant, Ms. Judith Battle, Ms. Angela Battle, Ms. Cynthia Artis-Waiters, Ms. Michelle Winder Branch, Ms. Angie Scraders-Murphy, Mr. Calvin Jackson, Mrs. Shakeema Lowe, Mr. Calvin Griffith, Mrs. Angela Harrison, Ms. Mable Bazemore, Mr. Kevin Byfield, Ms. Shawna Chester, Ms. Jennifer Sanchez, Ms. Judy Hendrix, Ms. Evelyn Rosado, Mr. William Wilson, Mr. William Buchanan, Ms. Rita McGuffin, and Ms. Gertrude Scott.
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Kingdom Blessings,