Spiritual Love (14) Love Bears, Believes, Hopes, and Endures All Things (2)
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August 01, 2021 |
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 "… [love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
1 Corinthians 13:7
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 explains the concept of love and draws the conclusion by stating true love is to bear, believe, and hope all things.
We will continue to delve into love that bears all things and how we can cultivate love that bears, believes, and hopes all things.
1. Love Endures All Things
As we bear all things that are not in accordance with spiritual love, we are apt to face the aftereffects. Smaller waves follow a big wave. When we bear with all things, bearing is not the end but there could be additional tests or pain in heart that follow.
The aftereffect of bearing with all things might come from outside. When we bear all things in obedience to God's word, the situation might look like it is only getting worse. It's God's plan to allow us such trials. Through them God blesses us and makes us more complete.
As crops endure wind, rain and many other things until they bear the fruit, we will also become the wheat through endurance. God cultivates human beings so that they will become His true children through trials.
The devil always tries to stop God's children from walking in the Light. They accuse the believers whenever they have a chance.
Suppose you see an evil-doer. You bear with him on the outside, but in your heart you dislike him. The devil knows this and they accuse you, thereby bringing trials to you. Until you are acknowledged that your heart is free of evil, you will have trials.
Of course, trials might come even if you don't have any evil. It is for your blessing. God is leading you to cultivate greater love and goodness that goes beyond the level of having no evil. The same goes for accomplishing the kingdom of God and not just personal blessing.
For us to bring down God's greater works, the measure of justice must be filled accordingly. We must prove that we are ready to receive the answer through acts of great faith and love so that the devil can't object to it.
For this reason, God sometimes lets us endure the storms of suffering. If we overcome with goodness and love, we will be able to glorify Him. In particular, if we overcome persecutions and hardships that we suffer for the name of the Lord, we will surely receive blessings (Matt. 5:11-12).
2. To Bear, Believe, and Hope All Things
If we bear, believe, and hope all things in the truth with our love for God, we can overcome any kind of hardship. What must we do to do so?
1) We must trust the love of God even during the trials.
1 Pet. 1:7 says, "…so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" Namely, God lets us go through trials so we can be qualified to receive praise and glory and honor at the end of this life.
We might suffer without reason even though we live by God's word and do not compromise with the world. However, if we believe that we are receiving special love of God, we can be thankful because the suffering is allowed so we could go to heaven.
If the suffering is prolonged, we might wonder if God really loves you. However, we have to engrave God's love in our heart especially at those times. If we endure with our trust in His love, we will eventually become a more perfect individual (James 1:4).
2) We must believe trials are a shortcut to fulfilling hope.
Romans 5:3-4 says, "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope." Trials are a shortcut to fulfilling hope. We might doubt ourselves thinking we'll never change. However, if we keep on changing ourselves, we will eventually become the kind of children who resemble God completely.
Therefore, we must try to pass the trials with hope. If we try to avoid them, it will only delay our progress. Suppose your friend irritates you with persistent faultfinding. You don't outwardly express it but you are uncomfortable. In these moments, you shouldn't just avoid the situations but deal with it.
You should endure the hardships that are caused in dealing with the situation. You should understand and forgive them truthfully so that God will lead you to change yourself. Each of the trials will become the stepping stone for fulfilling your hope.
3) You should act in goodness.
If things don't get better even after bearing with all things, many people begin to complain toward God. In a physical sense, trials and tests seem to come from other people or situations, but in spiritual sense they are not. All trials of faith are brought on by the devil. The trials are a battle between good and evil.
To win the spiritual battle, we must fight according to the spiritual law. Romans 12:21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." If we do good, it looks like we are losing and suffering a loss. However, goodness always wins, because God of justice rules over every matter of human life.
Therefore, we have to act in goodness especially during trials and persecutions. Some believers are persecuted by their unbelieving family members. If you think your family members are evil, the trials will only be extended.
The darkness will go away when you pray for them with love and become the light in the family through your service in the Lord. If you do not get weary while doing good, God will solve the problem at the best time. He will drive away the devil and move the hearts of people.
All problems are resolved when you act in goodness according to God's law. The greatest power in spiritual battle is not human power or wisdom but goodness of God.
Some people give hard time to everyone around them; some others complain and sulk all the time. Still others are so arrogant that others can't understand their actions. However, if we cultivate true love in our heart, we won't have anyone we won't be able to bear with. We will love others as ourselves, so we will understand and accept everyone (Matt. 22:39).
God also bears with and understands each of us with this true love. The pearl oyster makes the pearl by enduring the pain and covering the foreign object that pierces its flesh. In the same way we have to endure all the pains with faith and hope so that we can cultivate love.
In doing so, if we possess spiritual love, we will be qualified to enter the city of New Jerusalem passing through the 12 pearl gates.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Spiritual love is to bear, believe, and hope all things in the Lord. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will understand the providence of human cultivation, which is to lead us to New Jerusalem and quickly cultivate spiritual love.
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