I am a part of a small group study. It is small and personal and intimate for a reason but I wanted to share the amazing study and the possibility of discussion! So if you read this and love it and have an opinion or questions feel free to do this study with me! I'll post them daily.
Make sure you start off here at www.shereadstruth.com .
Colossians 3:14 "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
From the book I read The Fruitful Life by Jerry Bridges I love this insight on love. "Our devotion to God is validated by our love for other people. We cannot truly love God without loving one another. To recognize that there is someone i do not love is to say to God, 'I do not love you enough to love that person.'"
This is referring to the attitude of not even wanting to love the person, of being content to allow a lack of love for someone reside in my heart unchecked and unchallenged.
"Love inclines us and directs us to be kind, to forgive, to give of ourselves to one another."
Questions:
1. What opportunities do you have to give of yourself to others, even at considerable cost?
2. What hinders you from loving?
3. Who do you need to forgive? If you find this person hard to forgive, you might meditate on 1 John 4:7-11. Ask God to help you forgive as He has forgiven you. Ask God to help you trust that His justice toward this person has be satisfied, even if you don't have the justice you'd like to see.
4. Consider these loving motivations and pray through them
1. What opportunities do you have to give of yourself to others, even at considerable cost?
2. What hinders you from loving?
3. Who do you need to forgive? If you find this person hard to forgive, you might meditate on 1 John 4:7-11. Ask God to help you forgive as He has forgiven you. Ask God to help you trust that His justice toward this person has be satisfied, even if you don't have the justice you'd like to see.
4. Consider these loving motivations and pray through them
I am patient with you because I love you and want to forgive you
I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.
I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you and want you to have the best
I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours
I am not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.
I am not rude because I love you and care about your feelings
I am not self seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs
I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses
I do not keep a record of your wrongs because I love you and "love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8)
I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.
I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you and want you to have the best
I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours
I am not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.
I am not rude because I love you and care about your feelings
I am not self seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs
I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses
I do not keep a record of your wrongs because I love you and "love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8)
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