The More Excellent Way


There are many lessons taught from the Bible that when they are heard, they are always relevant. Two of those lessons are offense and love. Offense because the Bible says in Luke 17:1 "...“ It is impossible that no offenses should come..." This is a fundamental teaching, yet believers struggle with overcoming offenses. The other, which is love, is always relevant because one of the ways to overcome offense is through love.

Today, let's look at this timeless message of love.

1 Corinthians 12:31 says, "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." The "more excellent way" in this verse is love. It is love that overcomes offenses and enables us to live in such a way that God will always be glorified. It is love that is at the fiber of all sonship (mature, kingdom minded) relationships with the heart set upon pleasing the Father and fulfilling His kingdom purposes.

Since love is the more excellent way, first and foremost we must repent for not walking in love. Once that is done, it is clear that the mindset of "I love the Lord, but don't like the brethren," is false and needs to be corrected. A Christian cannot love the Lord and not like His children. This is an oxymoron. However, it presents the question of, "How then, do I love people I don't like?" It's simple. Pray!

Prayer does three things that will change your heart toward someone who has offended you or someone you don't like. First it will enable you to see them as God sees them. Second, it will impregnate you with His love for that person and finally, it will empower you to love like He loves. Prayer is the key to loving like God, but in order to pray, for this kind of love, the Father has to reveal His heart to you on this matter. You need, I need, we all need a revelation from the Father that love IS the more excellent way!

Since love is the more excellent way, let me leave you with what the Word says about love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. Here it is in the Amplified Bible.

Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing. 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. It 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]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 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]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

Meditate on these verses this week, paying close attention to what love does and doesn't do. Ask the Father to give you the revelation so that you can love like He loves. Then, you will be a living epistle of His love, showing everyone that love IS the more excellent way.

Love, peace and blessing,

Dr. Sheila

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consider the Consequences

I remember speaking years ago to a friend who is a social worker. She said something to me that has stuck with me to the point that I often share it with others I may be talking to. She said, "There are consequences to everything we do. If you do good, there will be good consequences. If you do bad, there will be bad consequences." This is such a simple truth. It is displayed throughout the Bible, yet, due to the sinful nature of man, many times mankind still make bad choices. Moses told the people in Deuteronomy 30:19 to choose life so that they may live. However, as we know from reading the history of the Israelites after the death of Moses they did not choose life. They chose to disobey God repeatedly and this led to them being taken into Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Here's the clincher, God will allow you make bad choices and suffer the consequences. Don't believe it? Look at how Acts 7:42 reads in the Message Bible: "God wasn't at all pleased;
Read more

P - P.R.E.S.S.

Good morning! This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad, and so should you! I am excited about today's teaching in the series, O.C.C.U.P.Y. Until He Comes. This is the area where many times believers faint and give up. However, now is not the time to give up! We must put this leg of the teaching into practice. We MUST, P - P.R.E.S.S. When you think about the word "press," apply this acronym; Put Resolute Energy in Standing Strong. Isn't that powerful? That is what we have to do in the press! You may be caught between a rock and a hard place but you must stand firm in your faith knowing that nothing is too hard for God. P.R.E.S.S.! The thing that I love about the press is that it is the warfare of occupying, and warfare is good because we win! It is the area where we are faced with opposition while training to be about the Father's business. The enemy is prowling about seeking to devour those who are weak. The Word of God tells us to re
Read more

Expect God To Do It

This has been an exciting year! We have seen the hand of the LORD at work in our lives, experiencing His love, peace and blessings. God has taken the good, bad and ugly, and put it all in the mix to work out for the good. Now, a new year is on the horizon. What will come of this year? What new journey will be embarked upon? What kind of growth will be experienced this year? The new year always presents itself with these questions and many others, building hope that the new year will be better than the last. This is a good thing because God wants His children to have hope. The Bible declares in Romans 5:5, "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." That's the New King James Translation. The first part of that verse in the King James Version says, "And hope maketh not ashamed..." Both translations use the word "hope." This is powerful because a simple definition of
Read more