When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT
It’s time to grow up.
It’s time to fully know God, as we are fully known. What does that mean?
To love and to know are intimately acquainted.
First, we are loved by God. Then, we come to know that we are loved. When we experience God’s love, we love God in return. As we spend more and more time with God, abiding in His Presence, abiding in His love, we come to know God fully. We become like Him. We become mature in the Lord.
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
1 John 4:16-17 NLT
It’s time to walk with Jesus. It’s time to live like Jesus here in this world. How did Jesus live? He embodied the love of God in human flesh.
What does the love of God look like in action?
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
God’s love endures through every circumstance. It is self-sacrificing. It seeks what is best for everyone. It liberates us from living futile lives in the flesh and empowers us through the Spirit to live holy lives of loving service to our peers.
The perfecting of the saints starts with us. When we repent of living self-willed lives and surrender to God’s loving care and guidance, we walk with Jesus, keeping in step with the Spirit.
It’s time to grow up.
It’s time to act mature.
It’s time to love like Jesus.
Prayer Points
- Ask God for a revelation of His love for you and for all of humanity.
- Ask God to remove anything that is hindering your ability to love others as Jesus does.
- Ask God to give every believer His heart of love for others.
Father in Heaven, we love You because You first loved us. Thank You Jesus, for willingly laying down Your life to rescue us when we were still Your enemies. Help us to forgive those who sin against us. Help us to pray for our enemies. Help us to speak blessings and not cursings. Empower us to walk in Your love towards every human that You have created. Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Make us just like You, in regards to love. In Your Name we pray. Amen.
We love each other because he loved us first.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
1 John 4:19-21 NLT
Recommended reading: 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4.
Igniter Ministries 