Perfect Love

Happy Sunday!

God uses relationships and interactions with other people to grow us in love.  But we generally choose to love only those that love us back.  Even Jesus said, it's easy to love people who are easy to love.  Matthew 5:46 says, "If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much."(Living Bible).  But if we only love the lovable, who will love the rest?  

I served in Children's Church today.  As you know, I will try to listen to Dr. Matthew L. Stevenson III before I go to my church, unless I'm rested enough to go to our 9 am service and serve at 11:15 am as well.  Dr. Stevenson is preaching a series called, "Rated R"  about relationships.  It has been amazing and always on point.  Today's message was "The Spirit of Fear".   He said, "You will never be able to devote yourself to any relationship as long as you have fear".  Let that sink in.  

Why haven't you introduced yourself to the neighbor in 3B?  Are you afraid that they will be needy and always want to borrow a cup of sugar,  or your snow shovel?  Why do you push the down button for the elevator when you see that one person pushed up?  Are you afraid to be seen talking with them?  Are you afraid of what people may think?  Why don't you go to the movies, bowling, or roller skating?  Why don't you travel?  You really enjoy it, but what will people think or say about you being somewhere by yourself?  

Fear distorts things.  There is no fear in love.  Perfect or mature love casts out or dispels fear.  Don't miss this.  When our love is mature we will be Fearless!  1 John 4:17-18 says, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."(KJV).  

Phobos is the Greek word for Fear.   We get words like phobia from this root word.  It means to shriek back, to retreat, to run, or to cower.   2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath NOT given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."(KJV).  Stop accepting fear from the Devil!  He wants access to you and your life.  He knows that when you operate in fear your faith is unproductive.  Fear paints a deceptive picture of your opponent and  seeks to make you see yourself incorrectly.  Our relationships and their success are determine by our fear or lack thereof.  Dr. Stevenson said, "Many of us are only as broke as our relationships!"   Don't miss this!   As I told my daughter today, "You are going to be with people forever". Even in Heaven, there are crowds too big to number.  Don't think you will spend all your time cooped up in your mansion!  You will be in worship services!

Have you ever heard of Six Degrees of Separation?  It's defined as "the theory that any person on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries".   Whether you believe this or not, your relationships matter!  Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right information, and the right understanding requires that you be ready for the right relationships.  Everybody will not be your friend, but don't be afraid to explore friendships.  Proverbs 8:24 says, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."(KJV).   The Message Translation says, "Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family".  

One of my students made a comment about love that says a lot about how our culture views it.  She was under the impression that love was always perfect, and never involved any trouble or challenges.  As a class we read 1 Corinthians 13 together.  I recommend you read it as well, and perhaps in another translation. It describes what real love is like.   1 John 4 tells us that God loved us first without any guarantee we would love him back.  This is our example.  We have to grow to the place where we can love first not knowing if this love, compassion, concern, or benevolence will ever be given in return.  We can't let fear of being hurt, mistreated, or misunderstood keep us from obeying God's command.  You did realize that loving one another is a command, didn't you?

Love and prayers, Cynthia