Morning by Morning, June 6 - Love, Above All Else
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my heart, as I listen for Your voice, Good Shepherd of my soul. ... "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3:14). Your Word commands me to clothe myself with love "above all." No doubt, this is a great priority to You and You desire this to be a great priority to me. So help me understand this spiritual truth and clear demand more deeply. Lord, what does it mean to clothe myself with love? ... It seems I hear You saying, "To clothe yourself with love is to take deliberate action, with the intention of your heart to consciously choose to love." Yes, Lord. As I hear these words in my heart, I believe You're bringing to mind a picture of me buttoning my shirt, one button at a time. It takes focus and attention, even though it may seem like a small thing. It's not automatic. My shirt doesn't button itself up just because I choose to wear it or want to wear it. I have to take deliberate action to consciously choose to put on my shirt and button it up, one button at a time. So just as I clothe myself with my shirt every morning, remind me and empower me to clothe myself with love every morning. And may I keep wearing it throughout the moments and encounters of my day. Just like I would have to take deliberate action to consciously choose to take my shirt off, one button at a time, may it be just that deliberate to me if I were to choose to take love off. The moment I touch that top button to begin to take off love, speak to my heart and convict me in my spirit of what I'm about to do. Remind me to never take off love, but wear it all day, going about every day consciously clothed in love. And as it becomes my way of the heart, let it become my way of life. Help me learn to love, more every day, clothed in love above all else. "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.... if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:7-12). This kind of love is not the world's kind of love. It's not wish-washy, willy-nilly, touchy-feely love. It's obedient love, faithful love, self-sacrificing love (1 John 4:10; 2 John 4:6). As You explained to Your first disciples, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.... They who have My commandments and keep them are those who love Me; and those who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.... Those who love Me will keep My Word, and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words" (John 14:15-24). This kind of love requires truth. This kind of love requires action. "Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action" (1 John 3:17). It's not enough to say we love. It's not enough to embrace the world's kind of love. It's our calling and command to put on love, to clothe ourselves with love -- obedient, truthful love -- as revealed and expressed through You, for You are love (1 John 4:16). And as You are, so are we to be in this world (1 John 4:17). This is the way of love You desire and require, above all else. Lord, help me love to love and wear Your love every day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you will be empowered with the desire to love, above all else, to consciously choose to put on love every day and never deliberately take it off, as you seek to be more like Jesus in your world every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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