ὑπερνικάω

Monday, September 14, 2009

The scripture reference for this teaching is one that all of you will be familiar with.

But as I studied this scripture with different translations, I came upon The Message version. This version brings a different perspective to this verse which I feel, gives a greater insight to the heartbeat of God.

1 Cor 13:1-10
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

I trust that by meditating on these scriptures, you will already begin to learn some of the things that I will share in the next entry.

But for now, think about this.
The bible tells us in 1 John 4:8, that God is love.
Hence, when we start to renew our minds and grow in the likeness of Christ, we ourselves become more like love.

Do this exercise as often as you can.

Replace the word "love" with "I" or "I will".
Meaning, instead of, Love never gives up.
Say this to yourself, I will never give up.

And begin to speak these verses of life over yourself.

Allow God to reveal to you a deeper understanding into His indescribable love.