1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV) Let all that you do be done in love.

The word love here is translated from the Greek word agape which is the love of God, perfect in all its performance. The key here is performance as the verse indicates “in all things that you do”.

Is your motivation in everything you do because God loves you? Is your motivation to prove to God that you love Him? In many ways I see those motivations as emotional responses of a live lived in the past. My mother loved me and I wanted to show her I loved her. Whatever she asked of me I did because I wanted to prove myself to her. When it came to other things she was not a consideration. I acted out by my own nature, who I was inside without her.

Now God dwells in our hearts by faith. Do you think our God can dwell in our hearts without knowing how we truly feel? My actions now cannot be to show God what He already knows but to show others that the God of love dwells in me by allowing Him to love them in ways I myself cannot. That can only happen if I have changed, not doing the agape thing by motivation but because that is now who I am inside.

Those charismatics that I once worship with were always telling me “I love you with the love of God.” When they said that all I could hear was “I don’t have any love of my own for you.” If they truly love me with agape love, then their deeds would speak about that love and words would not be necessary.

1 John 3:18 (ESV) Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Yesterday as I left you I said there is a new sheriff in town. We couldn’t keep the Levitical law because it was too demanding. Now that we are in Christ we have the law of love to keep. Sounds easy, no problem.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

How are you doing so far? If you are still a child in Christ, trying to grow up to be like Jesus, you don’t have the maturity to understand how this is possible. We often carry a lot of baggage with us into Kingdom living. Many of us when we move in want to run out and play. The last thing we think about is unpacking the baggage to examine what we brought with us. Why? The bags are hurts, wounds and pains of that past life we have not dealt with in terms of forgiveness.

We harbor resentments, pick at scabs, perhaps even wear the bruises proudly. “Look what he/she did!” It is difficult if not impossible to become that victorious warrior we should be with a victim’s mentality. Other people’s wrongs weigh on you so heavily that you cannot see your own.

It took me a long time to realize forgiveness of others is necessary to heal me, not them. Sure words of forgiveness will help heal a relationship but finding forgiveness in your heart is the breaking of chains that allow that heart to learn how to love. If you cannot find forgiveness you cannot love with this new heart the Lord has given you.

Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.