HOW TO BECOME A MORE LOVING PERSON
Loving Your Neighbor in a Hostile World
“… Let us love one another, for love comes from God… Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love … And He has given us this command: [Whoever] loves God must also love [his] brother…” 1 John 4:7-8; 21 (NIV)
First Degree Lover — “I love you for what you GIVE me.”
2nd Degree Lover — “I love you cause you’re NICE to me.”
3rd Degree Lover — “I love you for WHO YOU ARE.”
4th Degree Lover — “I love you NO MATTER WHAT.”
I. WHAT IS LOVE? Popular misconceptions…
* FEELING
* UNCONTROLLABLE
WHAT GOD SAYS:
1. LOVE IS A MATTER OF CHOICE.
“And over all virtues put on love, which binds them all together…” Colossians 3:14 (NIV)
2. LOVE IS A MATTER OF CONDUCT.
“… Let us not love with words or [tongue] but with actions and truth.” 1 John 3:18
HOW TO LOVE SOMEONE YOU DON’T LIKE
- EXPERIENCE GODS LOVE YOUR SELF
“… I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart, living within you as you trust Him. May your roots go deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand… how long, wise, deep, and high His love really is; and experience this love for yourselves…” Ephesians 3:17-18 (TLB)
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
- FORGIVE OTHERS WHO HAVE HURT YOU
“Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13
- THINK ADMIRABLY ABOUT OTHERS
“… Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
“Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ.” Philippians 2:4-5 (TLB)
- BEGIN ACTING IN A LOVING WAY
Jesus said, “LOVE your enemies, DO GOOD to those who hate you, BLESS those who curse you, PRAY FOR those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)
“… Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other… because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2 (TLB)
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
- EXPECT THE BEST FROM THEM
“If you love someone… you will always believe in him, [and] always expect the best of him…” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (TLB)
How to Revive a Lost Love…
“… You have lost your first love.” Revelation 2:4-5
1. REMEMBER * “Remember how far you’ve fallen…
2. REPENT * “Repent… (metanoia – change the way you think)
3. REPEAT * “… and do the things you did at first.”