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“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2

When my husband and I were married, I thought I came to the marriage a spiritual giant that could teach him so much about the Lord. Since I had been saved longer than him, I was planning to teach him how to win spiritual battles in prayer, how to prophesy, how to quote scriptures and how to storm the gates of heaven and get God to move. I was so impressed with myself and my “spiritual growth.”

…until

I kept coming across situations where I had to love people. I kept facing situations where I needed to be patient, kind, believe the best, and forgive. I would fail the love tests almost every time.

All of my faith and all of the Bible knowledge I had didn’t mean anything because I didn’t know how to love the way God had instructed me to. He helped me to locate where I was spiritually, and little by little and day by day, the Lord began the process of planting His seed of love in my heart and causing it to grow. He began to show me through His Word and my husband’s example, how to lay down my life for others, how to accept people for who they are and how to love them through the challenges they faced.

My sister, it doesn’t matter how much you can pray if you don’t know how to love people in a way that pleases God. It doesn’t matter how many Bible verses you can quote verbatim if you don’t know how to treat people right. A sign of real spiritual maturity is in your ability to love like Jesus.

Challenge: Take a closer look at 1 Corinthians 13 and see how well you measure up to God’s standard of love.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking directly to my heart. I need you to teach me how to love. I haven’t been doing a good job at it. Plant your seed of love in my heart and cause it to grow and produce visible results in my life. I want to grow spiritually. I desperately want to learn your ways of doing things. Help me Lord to be more like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” Philippians 4:11, NKJV.

I remember one day I told my husband that I felt exhausted and that I needed a vacation. Although we couldn’t afford it, I wanted to take everything we had in the bank and go anywhere to escape from the pressure. I feared that if I didn’t get away, I would explode. But God spoke to my heart and said, “You’re not going to explode. You’re not going to lose it. You’re going to be alright. That’s just fear talking. You’re in a new place in Me now, and it is time you begin to operate by faith and not fear.” At that moment I decided that with or without a vacation, I was going to be alright, and I was.

Fear can make you feel like you won’t make it unless you get what you think you need or want. The truth is, you’re going to be alright, my sister, even if you don’t get the job, the house, the vacation or time away with your friends. Take a deep breath. God didn’t give you a spirit of fear; He gave you a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7).

I’m going to tell you the same thing God spoke to me that day, “You’re not going to explode. You’re not going to lose it. You’re going to be alright. That’s just fear talking. You’re in a new place in Me now, and it is time you begin to operate by faith and not fear.”

Prayer: My Father God, thank you for growing me up and helping me to mature in Christ. Thank you for showing me what it means to be content and trust you with all my heart. I know everything is going to be alright because you are in control and you love me. Help me learn to operate by faith and not fear. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46

“I am the Lord your God, and I’ve made it simple for you. If you do what I tell you to do, you will experience stability in every area of your life. Let Me govern your every move. Let me have My way in you and through you. There is a difference between those who call Me Lord and those who do what I say. When you obey Me, you are letting Me be Lord. When you walk in obedience to Me, you are trusting that I have your best in mind. When your faith in Me produces obedience, I build your life on a rock, and I bless you with stability and longevity as you’ve never seen. I am separating the wheat from the weeds. I am making a clear distinction between those who only call Me Lord from those who are doing what I say. I will gather the wheat into My barns, but the weeds, I will not. They will be cast out. I allow both the wheat and the weeds to grow together, but it’s the wheat, those who are completely surrendered to Me, who will inherit My kingdom.”

(Scripture Reference: Luke 6:46-48; Matthew 13:24-30)