Miki Hardy

Love does not think of himself first but it seeks the best for others. The bible says: ” Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind,let each esteem others better than himself. Love also does not insist to have its rights.

The love of God is righteous and does not act rudely. Love is also impartial and does not make preference between people. It treats everyone in the same way and it shows integrity in its ways and doings.

We, as christians, should be satisfied and happy for who we are and for what we have. We should not covet or be jealous of one another’s state or possesions. Love is not possessive, does not seek to have more, is free from being envious and is not jealous.

Kindness is characterized by serving others with a good and willing heart. A kind person looks for opportunities to be helpful and to do good to others. The giving of his life for others is a demonstration of the love of God and the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

Love is always manifested towards someone else. We therefore are called to be patient towards one another, patient in allowing the Lord to do His perfect work in one another’s life. This means accepting and loving one another for who we are without any expectations but having faith that God is busy changing our lives. Apostle James says that the testing of our faith produces patience. Patience is a fruit of the love of God in our hearts.

The best way to examine our hearts is to look at the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We will very quickly find the answer because nothing will be kept hidden.No wonder why love is the accomplishment of the ten commandments.

Time has come to trust our God for great things. It seems that we have limited God and have put our faith to rest… Let us be reminded that what ever God has built or done was by means of miracles. He has not changed and that is why we can believe Him for miracles in our everyday life and for all our needs, may it be spiritual, physical or other. Let faith arise in our hearts.

We, christians, are living in a time where discernment is essential if we do not want to fall into the trap of false doctrines and deceptive teachings. We cannot submit to any wind of doctrine, man’s inventions and false interpretations of the scripture. Jesus and the early apostles have warned us of the rising up of false teachers and false prophets in the last days. We cannot relax but we must be aware of the dangers we are facing.

May be you think that a christian needs to be rich to have a generous heart. The christians in Macedonia gave out of their deep poverty. A generous heart is not reserved for rich people only. A generous heart is the fruit of a work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, where he sees the needs of others before his own need.

The churches of Macedonia expressed their joy of giving as they pleaded with Paul to allow them to partake to the offering destined to the saints. They did not wait for anyone to ask them to give but were looking for opportunities to give. It was the expression of their generous hearts and It showed the attitude that prevailed in these churches. May the Lord help us to carry the same heart.