I am doing a Bible study called "Loving Well" It is so rich, both a tremendous blessing and an incredible challenge. How I love the word of God!!!! It is such a wonderful reminder and refresher to my soul that the Lord is the ONLY source of love. He pours His perfect love into my imperfect heart and allows me to love others.
So it was such a blessing that I was also reading in Titus this morning, as I was reading chapter three, my heart was so comforted by this passage, particularly verses 3-7. Read it with me:
"Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:1-7
One of the biggest challenges I face (and I bet a lot of others face as well) is loving those we feel are "unlovable." You know, people who might get on your nerves a little quicker than others or those that irritate you easily. The Lord is really dealing with my heart with this, just as some seem unlovable to me, I may certainly be unlovable to others. I want to do my best to live at peace with all men as God says in His word. I think this morning as I read through Titus, and reread chapter three several times, I was so comforted by the power that comes from the Holy Spirit. God alone is perfect. His power through the Holy Spirit is what enables me to love at all, "we love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19.
Titus 3:1-7 really grabbed my heart this morning, it was a fresh reminder of truth. I must not forget that I once was a sinner separated from God, and now...though still confined by sinful flesh, I am not separated from God...and that ONLY by His grace!!
So you may be wondering, well what is so challenging about studying God's love? It's the constant confession that loving others is not natural to us, and though we may be "nice" people....loving others the way God calls us to is a supernatural gift from Him. We must surrender our hearts to Him, asking Him to love in and through us for His glory.
Loving well for the glory of God is a crazy thought...and yet it is what the Lord wants from us...and there again in His perfect grace, as He calls us to something He also with His perfect LOVE, empowers us and equips us to do it!!
God is so good!!!
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