What God’s love is #17: Love is ever ready to believe the best
(1Co 13:7 AMP) 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 #17 from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
This is a big one. I have dealt with many people who consistently believe the worst of people. Love is always ready to believe the best, no matter what.
- This does not mean that God wants you to be gullible.
- It does not mean that the person walking in the influence of God’s love is under some type of mystical spell that makes them all naïve;
- that they are prone to believe a falsehood as the truth; or that they do not make the effort to investigate the truth.
- What is means is that a person walking in the love of God is disposed to give the benefit of the doubt to others;
- is ready to put the most positive slant on the information they receive about others;
- and tends to believe that others are acting upon good motives.
- Love produces this type of positive expectation because it rejoices in the happiness and goodness of others and refuses to believe the contrary except on irrefutable evidence.
To put it another way, love has faith in men.
- Love wants to believe that people are good and not evil.
- Love wants to believe the best and not he worst.
- I have met many people that have lost faith in people.
- They have been hurt so many times that they now refuse to allow others to get close to them and they expect the worst out of people.
- These types of people close themselves down towards others and build up walls of resentment, bitterness, and pain.
- Love refuses to allow the actions of a few to influence our actions towards the masses.
So:
1. Don’t allow yourself to expect the worst in people, just because some people did you wrong.
Have people mistreated me? Sure. Have some led me astray? Of course. But those are not grounds for me to taint my opinion of people as a whole. Love empowers us to forgive those that have hurt us in particular and to continue to expect the best out of people in general.
2. Don’t allow the actions of a few to influence your attitude towards the masses.
Have you been hurt in the past? Please don’t allow the hurt caused by a few to cause you to expect the worst of the rest of the world. There are people in this world that are here to bless you and others here for you to bless. If you have the wrong attitude you might miss both opportunities!
What God’s love is #16: Love bears up under anything and everything
(1Co 13:7 AMP) 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].
What God’s love is #16: Love bears up under anything and everything from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
The word translated “bears up” in this text means:
- to protect, preserve, cover, keep secret, hide, conceal.
- to carry in the mind, to carry from one place to another; transport.
We learned back in characteristic #3 (love is kind) that love is disposed to do good unto others. We have learned through many of the characteristics that this tendency to do good should not be shaken by temporary circumstances.
- We all make mistakes and love enables us to look beyond the mistakes and continue to love the mistaken.
- Solomon said it this way, “Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs that others do” (Prov 10:12 CEV).
- Peter also explained it by saying, “Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]” (1st Peter 4:8 AMP).
Let’s take it a step further:
- When you BEAR UP your brothers and sisters you are willing to help carry their burdens.
- People should be able to come to you and share their heart and their faults without the concern that you will broadcast their faults to the world.
- Love is disposed to hide or conceal the faults and imperfections of others.
Have you ever met someone who just seemed to tell it all? In Spanish we call those people “Radio Bembe;” the word “Bembe” being a reference to lips. In English I guess we could give them the radio call sign letters of “WLIP.” This is simply not the way that the Love of God operates.
So… since we all make mistakes:
1. Love hears the mistakes without judging the mistaken.
2. Love protects what it hears and never shares it without permission.
3. Love partners with the burdened and helps to cast the cares to Jesus.
What God’s love is #15: Love rejoices when right and truth prevail
(1 Cor 13:6 AMP) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
What God’s love is #15: Love rejoices when right and truth prevail from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
Webster’s definition of truth: That which is considered to be the supreme reality and to have the ultimate meaning and value of existence and righteousness, among other things, it is applied to God, the perfection of His nature.
Moreover the Bible states:
- God is a God of truth (Duet 32:4)
- Jesus was full of truth (John 1:14)
- The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17) who guides us into all truth (John 16:13),
- The Word of God is truth (Dan 10:21; John 17:17)
- And God made Jesus to be sin for us so what we might be made righteous (2 Cor 5:21).
I know that was a lot to digest, but the bottom line is that God expects us to be different when we are Born-Again and start walking in His light and His love.
Living in Darkness:
- Before I became a Christian I rejoiced in unrighteousness.
- I remember growing up in Brooklyn and how we hated cops. The police officers were there to establish order, but we rejoiced in disarray.
- We loved to see people fight. If a fight broke out, a crowd quickly gathered.
- We loved to hear arguments. If a couple broke out in an argument in the street, others quickly chimed in and instigated the argument to go further.
- We were not operating in light and truth, we were operating in deception and darkness and we rejoiced in the things that we participated in.
- Paul explained it well when he told us that we were children of disobedience and by nature, children of wrath (Eph 2:2,3).
Living in Light and Love:
1. Be light in the midst of darkness.
2. Be love in the midst of selfishness.
3. Be different… be God’s representative everywhere you go!
What God’s love is #14: Love does not rejoice at injustice
(1 Cor 13:6 AMP) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
What God’s love is #14: Love does not rejoice at injustice from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
To rejoice: simply put, is to experience joy; an intense feeling of happiness.
- Love does not break out into this intense feeling of happiness over the misfortune of another.
- Have you every met someone who loved to see others fail or hurt?
- These people are simply not walking in the love of God.
- Christians should not take the opportunity to celebrate the fact that others are going through tough times. As a matter of fact, we should sympathize with and show compassion towards those who are “going through.”
- We should seek to be a blessing and not a burden.
Jesus had an intense meeting with a family that he loved in John chapter 11. Mary and Martha were crying because their brother (Lazarus) was dead and he had been dead for four days. They sent word to Jesus while Lazarus was still alive. Jesus got there and would later raise Lazarus from the dead, but before He did, He encountered a hurting family. What did He do when He met with the family that was grieving? What did He do when He saw their tears? Did He break out into a dance and celebrate the fact that they were hurting? Of course not! The Bible says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
- He cried with them.
- He shared their feelings.
- He shared their pain.
- Why? Because He was operating in the love of God.
Paul said:
(Romans 12:4,5 CEV) A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
(1 Corinthians 12:26 CEV) If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
(Romans 12:15 AMP) Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief].
So:
1. Be considerate. Put yourself in their situation.
2. Celebrate with others when they are celebrating, but also be compassionate towards those who are hurting.
3. Never take pleasure in other’s pain; but rather seek to be a blessing while they are down.
What God’s love is #13: Love takes no account of the evil done to it
(1 Cor 13:5 AMP) 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].
What God’s love is #13: Love takes no account of the evil done to it from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
King James Version: “thinketh no evil”
Good News Bible: “does not keep a record of wrongs”
Message Bible: “Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others”
Meditation is Powerful: Don’t use it the wrong way.
I remember a series of commercials about College that ran when I was a kid. The message at the end of the commercials was, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
- Unfortunately, many Christians waste valuable brain power on the wrong things.
- Many nurse and rehearse the wrongs done to them.
The word “meditate” used in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:3 means more than just to think about; it also connotes muttering.
- It means that we are to not only to constantly think about the Word of God, but also to constantly speak the Word over and over as well.
- There is a level of faith that is activated when we think and speak something (see Romans 10:9,10).
It works the same in the negative:
- If you replay the evil done to you over and over in your mind, you will find yourself talking about it as well.
- Jesus taught us that our mouth will speak out of the overflow of our heart (Mat 12:34).
- So if we consistently think about the wrongs done to us and then begin to speak about them, we are activating a negative force and not a positive one over our lives.
- This is destructive for all parties in involved!
So:
1. Don’t keep good records of bad things.
- Use your time and mental energy in a productive way.
2. Be quick to forgive, so you don’t develop a root of bitterness.
- A root of bitterness will hurt you and the person you should forgive.
3. LET GO, so you can LAY HOLD!
- Far too many believers can’t LAY HOLD of their future, because they refuse to LET GO of their past.
What God’s love is #12: Love is not Touchy, Fretful, or Resentful
(1 Cor 13:5 AMP) 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].
What God’s love is #12: Love is not Touchy, Fretful, or Resentful from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
Touchy: This is a person who tends to take offense for the slightest reason. They are oversensitive.
- This person requires special tact to deal with them.
- Any insignificant event may cause them to fly off the handle.
Have you ever met a person like this? I am sure you have. Walking up to a touchy person is like walking into a mine zone. You may say something like, “I like your shoes. Where did you get them?” And they might reply, “Why do you want to know where I get my shoes? I can’t stand copycats! I am tired of people trying to copy me! Why can’t you just find your own shoes?”
Fretful: This person is inclined to be displeased or troubled. They look for things to go wrong and looking for ways to be upset.
- This person seemingly likes being upset, they are looking for ways to be displeased, and if you are not careful, they will pour their fret into you!
Resentful: This person keeps a persistent ill will towards those who have wronged them.
- Even after an apology has been rendered, a resentful person will harbor ill feelings for a long time.
The Major Point is: When you walk in God’s love you learn to Rule Your Emotions and you don’t allow your Emotions to Rule You!
- Emotional people are touchy, fretful and resentful.
- Emotional people are unstable, unbalanced and insecure.
- Emotional people live their lives like a roller coaster (a continual series of ups and downs).
- Develop in God’s Love and you will be able to live a Strong, Stable, and Secure life!
What God’s Love Is #11: Love is not Self-Seeking
(1 Cor 13:5 AMP) 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].
- To be self-seeking is to be overly concerned with your own interests, desires, or needs.
- Being passionate and determined for personal advancement in and of itself is not a bad thing, but people who are self-seeking are passionate about their personal advancement, even if it comes as the cost of others.
- Self-seeking people are simply selfish. The root word for selfish is “self.”
- These are people that simply put their desires above everyone else’s and neglect others in their pursuit of personal satisfaction. This is definitely not a characteristic of a person who is walking in the love of God.
What God’s love is #11: Love is not Self-Seeking from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
There are many descriptions in the Bible of what God is “like,” but I have only found two declarations of what God literally “is.”
- (1 John 1:5) says “God is light.”
- (1 John 4:8) says “God is love.”
- God is like many things, but it is clear that He literally is both light and love.
- The opposite of light is darkness. There are many scriptures that support the fact that God wants us to “walk in the light” and not the darkness of this world.
- The opposite of love is selfishness. There are many scriptures (today’s text included) that support the fact God does not want us to be selfish.
In closing:
1. Your success should not come at the expense of others.
- You should strive to be your best, you should endeavor to succeed in everything God allows you to do, and you should seek excellence in every area of your life; but you should not do it while neglecting and stepping on/over other people.
2. The Blessing is not limited. Others being successful does not threaten your success.
- The Father wants you to be blessed, but to also bless others along the way.
- God does not want to know how many times you made it up the mountain of success; He wants to know how many people you were able to take with you.
3. Don’t seek self, seek God!
- When pursue God – who is love – success will pursue you. (Mat 6:33)
- You can give without loving, but you cannot truly love without giving.
What God’s Love is #10: Love does not insist on it’s own way!
What God’s Love is #10: Love does not insist on it’s own way! from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
When you develop in God’s Love you:
1. Become more considerate.
2. Show more compassion.
3. Learn to make concessions.
What God’s Love is #9: Love does not act Unbecomingly
(1Co 13:5 AMP) 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.
What God’s love is #9: Love does not act Unbecomingly from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
Acting unbecomingly: Acting in such a way that is not consistent with who you are (in Christ).
Points to highlight this week:
1. You don’t get to control the way others act, but God expects you to control YOU!
- You don’t even control the actions of those you have authority over.
- The other person makes his or her own decisions, but you get to make yours as well.
2. Dealing with difficult people is not easy. If walking in love were easy, everyone would do it!
- Relationships can be trying at times, buy you must maintain your love walk.
3. When you walk in love you are able to respond instead of react.
- When you react you give the other person control of you and your actions.
4. No matter how difficult the person is to deal with, remember, you have the grace for it!
- If you are facing it, it’s because God trusts you with it.
- When you are weak (in your own strength), you can be made strong (in His).
What God’s Love is #8: Love is Not Rude
(1Co 13:5 AMP) 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.
- The modern day translations for the word rude tell us that being rude is: to act in an offensive manner; to be abruptly and unpleasantly forceful; to be discourteous, coarse, or vulgar.
- In the original language of our text, to be rude means to become easily provoked or irritated.
- Love is not these things.
What God’s Love is #8: Love is Not Rude from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
Love is not rude. The Message Bible says that it “doesn’t fly off the handle.” Love doesn’t seek to offend, but rather to reconcile. Love doesn’t seek to cause offense, but rather to share with others while operating in harmony.
When you develop in God’s Love you:
#1: Share the Gospel without offending others
- spirituality is not a license to offend
- winning the argument without winning a soul
#2: Communicate possibly contentious thoughts without causing offense
- you learn how to confront in love and harmony
#3: Take control of your emotions and you don’t allow them to control you
- high tolerance for people
Are you rude towards others? Are you easily provoked or irritated? Do you cause others to be offended? If so, then repent this morning and ask God to allow His love and His light to be perfected in you this day and this week.