#LoveIs “Half Full” Pastor Tracy Boyd (notes & video)
Love is: Are you seeing half full or half empty
Review:
- The best way to overcome evil is to do good (Romans 12:21).
- God has an ambitious plan for us to reflect who He is and what He has accomplished through Christ.
- agape an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he does. It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything return, and does not consider the worth of its object. It is a love by choice and refers to the will rather than the emotion.
- Without the deposit of His love in us this can’t be done. He gives us the love to love others. Jesus knew that this world trains us to be self- oriented.
- God’s love enables us to have true deliverance of self
- The goal of love is to see in the World and in our personal life:
Ephesians 3:20 (NKJ)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
Growing in the fruits or actions of love does not effect God’s love for us; it determines our quality of life and effectiveness in reaching people for Christ
Similar words mentioned in 1 Cor. 13 4-8 are mentioned in most of the epistles! Why? It is important for us to experience the Life that Christ purchased for us as well as being a reflection of Him to so many who don’t know Him and are hurting.
This week: Are you viewing life as half full or half empty
Car example
- A memo went out not to park in a certain place that people were parking because it wasn’t a parking place and isn’t safe. There was one particular person that habitually parked there.
- I got to the church and that someone who habitually parked thee was parked there and the complaining/irritation began in my head.
- A few miniutes later this peraon exited the building with several people, went to the parked vehicle and began unloading a ton of stuff.
- A couple of points: I filled in the blanks, it was a waste of my precious brain space, I looked at the situation half empty instead of half full
We all have a tendency to look at events that happen to us from a half empty perspective instead of half full and that’s why many times we end up behaving in the opposite of the love walk;
1 Cor. 13: 4-8 (NKJ)
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Why do we get short, impatient, irritated, or hurt
- Subconsciously we believe they are purposely doing what ever to bother us
- Driving, grocery store, with our kids, toilet seat, leaving things out, wronged by someone.
- Most of the time people did not set out to hurt us or do what ever to irritate us; it is a product of being human.
- Most strife or offense arise from misunderstanding, miscommunication or even a lack of maturity.
- Recognize that outburst do not help the situation only hurt it.
- A lot of the irritation or hurt derives from people not meeting our expectation
- Why do we complain to others when we are bothered
- We looking to be justified: my example when mom said is God convinced
- We don’t know how to solve it
- If we complain or get irritated we have lost sight of our own flaws: Lets sow GRACE
Why do we envy
- We’ve lost sight of God’s unending supply for us
Proverbs 14:30 (NKJ)
A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones
Proverbs 15:30 (NKJ)
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.
- When I get short or hurt I recognize I’ve disconnected from the His love
So when we these feelings rise up, how do we activate God’s love to keep us in the Love walk
Matt. 5:44 (NKJ)
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute
There are three actions that Jesus said would help us deal with negative emotions
- Bless: means to speak well of, desire for them to prosper
- Do good: see from their point of view
- Pray
This is what it looks like:
Situation 1: Have you ever been in a situation where you come home from work, your tired your brain is just over loaded and dinner hasn’t even been started. You know that your spouse has been home all day-they had a day off- you have a sporting event that you need to go to for one of your kids. Perfect opportunity for havoc!
The negative emotion rises first, “What were they doing all day, don’t they know how hard I worked today, don’t they have any common sense to make a meal…..
Choose Love: I’m going to believe the best. There is a logical reason for this. Maybe the basement flooded and the spent their day off pumping water out. Maybe a bill or form was misplaced and they spent the better part of the day looking for it and going to the secretary if state.
Let’s just say we throw choosing love out the widow and we displayed our aggravation we got all mad for nothing and created a strife filled environment
Choosing to think something positive puts us in the right frame of mind to deal with a potential turbulent moment! It is for our benefit!
Do good start making dinner!
Situation 2: It’s the week of final exams and you make a decision to go easy on your teenager and ask them only to take out the garbage. You pull into the drive way after work and there in the garage on garbage day is the garbage still packed and it’s 80 degrees outside.
Negative happens first: “What in the world was he thinking! Don’t they know we have to smell that for a week! I bet their playing halo right now…. They haven’t met your expectation and your mad!!!!
Choose love: Love suffers long! They are a teenager they are hormonal there must be a logical reason. Even if there isn’t this puts us in the right frame of mind to deal with them in sanity. We give them consequences not wrath
Situation 3:
You have been working on a project that your boss asked you to do. You have been spending months on it. It’s the day before you have to present and they say to you that they are going in another direction taking the idea from another fellow employee.
Negative thoughts: How dare they? Do they know how much work I did on that even after hours? They don’t appreciate me…. I’ve been here longer than so and so…I’m done!
Choose Love: Love does not seek it’s own. The other plan must be better for the over all benefit of the company. If I were the owner I would choose what is best for the company even if a loyal employee came up with the wrong idea. Maybe the idea is going to save millions
- Things we can do when people aren’t watching to develop love: Patience is selfishness conquered.
Situation 4:
Sometimes someone may have abused or mistreated you and you still have ill feelings toward them. Jesus gave us the antidote to get free: Love does not take into an account a suffered wrong
Bless them, “Lord I Bless them.” Don’t talk negative about them, do them good. Pray for them.
What to say daily: “God loves me and I can love others the same way
It’s more for our benefit to free ourselves
- Choosing to give into our negative emotions- defend, resist, retaliate….-causes the strife to continue.
- When we do not resolve things in love, it’s as if we are carrying a back pack filled with some form of weight on our backs. At first it’s heavy then we get use to it. However; the ill effects have a toll on our body our mental well -being. Someone has to be the strong person and pull on the love inside.
- Loving each other is true spiritual maturity!
- God’s kindness towards us caused us to change; our kindness towards others helps them to change.
Romans 2:4 (NLT)
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin.
- God deposits His love to love him, others and self…..
