Let’s jump right into the Word of God today! Let’s continue with 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7. The last three weeks we have been talking about the love of God that has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We have also talked about how we make a choice to walk in this love, instead of waiting for a “feeling” to help us walk in love. We have also discussed how 1 Corinthians 13 gives us the blueprint to walking in love, so today we are going to continue from there.

1 Corinthians 13:6

 ...It (love) does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 

Boy, the world has this one backwards. The world rejoices at injustice and mocks the truth.

...Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything (without weakening).

In other words, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do this!  We can bear up under any and every circumstance that comes our way. We can believe the best of every person.  But first! We must choose to do so and then the Holy Spirit helps us carry on in the action of love. 

Your flesh may be saying, “But wait, this is an impossible thing to do! I can’t be this perfect every day!” Guess what. God is not asking you to be perfect; He is just asking you to get a little closer to Him and His word every day. He gave you the blueprint in 1 Corinthains 13 to make life easier for you. I’m telling you out of personal experience, when I choose to walk in the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love, I come out of situations blessed. It may not feel good to my flesh to not notice a suffered wrong; but eventually through the power of the Holy Spirit, peace, joy, and blessings will be mine because I chose the path of love over the path of hate. Hate creates more hate. Love creates more love. It’s that simple. 

Everything is a choice. I choose to tap in to the love that has been poured out in me by the Holy Spirit. I choose to extend the hand of love instead of the hand of hate. I choose to not notice things that are done to me. I choose to be patient. I choose not to be self-seeking. I choose to not be touchy. Why? So a lost world can see God through the extended hand of love! We can do this, Champions! Let’s extend our hand in love!

-Coach Brim

The last two weeks we have been talking about God’s agape love and how He extends it to the saved and the unsaved. We’ve also talked about how the love of God is poured out on us so that we can pour it out on others.  

Today, we are going to look at exactly what God considers His agape kind of love. This can be found in a very familiar chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. The Amplified version gives the best reading of God’s heart concerning His love that is given to you.  As we read through 1 Corinthians 13 today, say to yourself, “I can do this; this love is already in me!”

So, let’s start with 1 Corinthians 13:4-5. I call this section the “actions of love.” Love is an act that is determined in your heart. The world will tell you that you have to “feel” love to show love, but according to God and His word, love is what you act upon because it has been given to you.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 

I can do this. This love is already in me and because of that, I can do this. I choose to act in love. I choose to be patient and kind, even when I want to pinch their head off.  I choose to act without jealousy when others get blessed. I choose to not be boastful but to be humble in the midst of a crowd that is praising me for something I have done. I choose to rise above my flesh and feelings and endure as love does. I choose the act of love. 

And when you do, the Holy Spirit within you will help you walk it out. 

1 Corinthians 13:5

...(love) is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong). 

Remember what we are saying to ourselves as we read this: “I can do this; this love is already in me. When someone does me wrong; I won’t notice a suffered wrong. I choose to act that way.”

Is it easy? No. Is it something we wait to feel? No. You might feel hurt! Or you may want to say, “But, I deserve my way. I insist on my own rights to be preserved! This is not fair!” Have you ever been in this position? Yes! We all have at some time in life. Maybe this is you every day, but if you are saved, you have an overcomer inside you. The Holy Spirit inside you is saying, “Press into Me and God’s word; and you can do this.” You don’t wait until you feel like you can do it, you make a choice to do it. It may feel like nails on a chalkboard to your flesh; but to your spirit, He will bring forth peace. And if you keep continuing to make a choice to be patient and kind and to not be rude or unmannerly, what was once hard, becomes easier by the power of the Holy Spirit.

-Coach Brim

Hello Partner and Friends!

Last week we talked about the love of God, how God extends His love to those that are saved and to those who are not saved, and how we are to extend love to those around us. This week we are going to continue talking about the agape kind of love - the unconditional love of God that loves without strings attached and says, “I am going to give to you whether or not you give to me.” This is not the world’s interpretation of love but the actual love that God says we can exist in. In Romans 5:5 we are told:

Now hope does not disappoint, because the Love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

You see, partners and friends, the world around us may not be able to walk in this kind of love or even understand this kind of love, but if you are saved, you have the understanding and the capability to walk in the agape kind of love. The word tells us we can! We can no longer say, “I can’t walk in love,” because the word of God says we can. Not only can we, but we have a Helper that will guide us into this kind of love.

Romans 5:5 clearly states that this very love that is in God has been poured out on us. The moment we accept Jesus as our savior, His love is then poured out into our hearts and spirits by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings forth this love and helps us to walk in this love everyday of our lives. When we choose to yield to the Holy Spirit instead of our flesh, we can truly walk in the God kind of love. 

Do you remember the day you accepted Jesus as your savior? Do you remember how an overwhelming love came upon you? If you were like me, you probably cried because this love was so strong that the only reaction you had was tears. Even to this day, many times in prayer and worship, this love moves on me in such a great measure that it brings me to thankful tears! This is the example of the love that God has poured in operation in our hearts. I truly believe that we can walk in that love every day because it has already been provided by the Lord, through the Holy Spirit. Now, it is up to us to tap into it. Just as God extends His love to us every day, we can choose to tap into that same love and extend that love to others every day!

Father, I lift up our partners and friends to you today! I believe in your word and the promises found in your word; and it tells us that the love nature of God actually abides in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that today and the days to follow, we will tap into Your love nature and let that love that has been given to us dominate our lives. We will extend love just as you have extended love. I ask You to surround them in Your love in all they do as they yield to Your Holy Spirit. Keep them from harm, guide them, and provide for them.

-Coach Brim

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen