A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Karen, at In Love W.I.T.H. Jesus, is hosting today's "In "Other" Words Tuesdays. She has chosen a powerful quote regarding love.

Love needs to be based on character, if you know and love God you see He has a lot of character we are in love with. The best thing we can do for our spouse is to grow in character as listed in 1 Cor 13. It’s a love of choice. We choose to love God, He chooses to love us. Love of choice is the most powerful love, God calls that agape love, it’s a love that lasts, we should never settle for anything else between us and God and others. It’s a love that grows. Keep fervent in your love, allow it to stretch and strain as you watch it grow. ~ Wayne Corderio

Knowing and Relying on Love

We find in 1 Corinthians 13 characteristics of love that are so precious.

Patience

Kindness

No envy

Not boastful

Not Proud

Not rude

Not self-seeking

Not easily angered

Keeps no record of wrongs

Does not delight in evil

Rejoices with the truth

Always protects

Always trusts

Always hopes

Always perseveres

Love never fails

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." ~ 1 John 4:16 (NIV)

We are able to express love to our spouses best when we truly know and rely on God's love, because we know and rely on the fact that God loves us.

The Greek word for know is ginōskō. This word means:

1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
a) to understand
b) to know
3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4) to become acquainted with, to know

The Greek word for rely is pisteuō, and means:

1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
a) of the thing believed
1) to credit, have confidence
b) in a moral or religious reference
1) used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith
3) mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith
2) to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
a) to be intrusted with a thing

Experiencing Love

How do we even know or begin to rely on understanding God's love for us?

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~ Romans 5:8 (NIV)

We know and rely on it because we have experienced it. Unless we know the depths of what Christ went through for us, are we willing to extend love and mercy to others?

In a recent movie, Fireproof, the character, Caleb, couldn't really take the actions needed in the advice his father gave him to save his marriage until He accepted the love of Christ. Once he did, the love he demonstrated toward his wife was beyond measure.

Growing in Love

When we grow in the characteristics of love given in 1 Corinthians, we, too, can reflect God's love. God possesses all these qualities of love. He is love. God would never ask us to do anything He Himself had not done.

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." ~ Luke 2:52 (NIV)

When Christ came to earth, He had to grow.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight," ~ Philippians 1:9 (NIV)

We, too, must grow in the wisdom and love of God. In reading the Scriptures, we understand how God wants us to grow.

Choosing to love God and others is something we are called as Christians to do.

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus had this to say:

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." " ~ Mark 12:29-31 (NIV, Emphasis, mine)

The Greek word for all is holos. It means:

1) all, whole, completely

Every fiber of our being is called into loving others in this stretching way - completely. Love should always grow and never diminish in size.

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." ~ 1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)

The Greek word for deeply is ektenōs. It means:

1) earnestly, fervently, intensely

We must keep the fires of love intense and fervent.

Father, help me to love others as You love them, showing all the qualities of love manifested in You as written in 1 Corinthians 13. May my love never grow cold but always keep growing. Purify my heart and never let me miss an opportunity settle for anything that would divide my love for You, my spouse or others in my life.