SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

PROVERBS 3-4

God is to be my only God...

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight. (3:5-6)

1 CORINTHIANS 13

Love is the one thing that makes everything right...

1If I speak in the tongues^a of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^b but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

JOURNAL 

Love is the one test as to whether I serve God or serve myself. If I do "good" things but have not love then it is all for nothing and my life and efforts are meaningless. I am to trust God above everything. God is to be my God and if so then everything I do will be tainted with his love. There simply is no other way. My concern is not to be what are the consequences but rather am I obeying God and are my actions done in love?

This seems so simple yet it is not the habit of my life. I am learning to make it so but it is so hard to change my natural habitual responses to life. I tend to think about how things will affect me before I act...rather than am I obeying God. I tend to therefore think about what I will get out of if rather than how will it affect someone else.

Yet if I truly obey God and trust him with all my heart then my concern can never be what the worlds response will be, my concern can never be myself, but rather obedience to God which will then translate into love of others. For if I obey God I will ultimately love others in all that I do and say.

3Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

PROVERBS 3:3-4