Scripture:
And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward you. As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong, blameless and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to Him.
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13
Observation:
What a wonderful way Paul had when praying for God’s people! He prayed with insight, according to the will of God. In this passage, Paul prays that God will make our love grow and overflow. I love the picture of that! God wants to develop a love that never becomes stagnant, but that keeps growing until overflows. Why does God want to do that? Well, Paul says that such love has a purpose - to develop strong, blameless and holy hearts that will stand before God. Such love prepares us to the end. In other words, the only thing we can take to heaven with us is the condition of our hearts. If we develop a loving heart on this side of eternity, we will carry on a strong, blameless, holy and loving heart to the other side. That’s why we need to develop loving and growing relationships until they overflow. Only in that way we can develop the heart of Jesus in our lives.
Application:
I love the way the plants in our garden keep growing and growing. I don’t do anything about it. God sends the rain and the growth happens. The result is a beautiful garden that gives God all the glory. I like to think about all my relationships as different gardens that need to be cultivated and nurtured. I want each relationship to grow and overflow with beauty. I want to plant seeds of love on this side of eternity that will germinate on the other side. I want to come to that day, when I present myself before the Lord, with a strong blameless and holy heart. I need to be intentional praying to God about this! I want my love for people to grow and overflow, meaning that my love must affect others around me. I want my love for Karen to overflow and bless others. I want my relationship with my kids to overflow and inspire others. I want my loving relationships with my family and friends to overflow and affect positively others around me. That is the kind of assignment that we all are responsible for.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, please make my love to grow and overflow so many people can give you glory as they see your Son Jesus in the way I love those around me. Build in me a strong, blameless, and holy heart. Give me grace with the people that sometimes are difficult to love, with those who offend me, mock me, or persecute me. Help me to be more like You. Amen!
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