Decide, in Advance!

( 3 Votes )

Pursuit of His Presence

Written by Gloria Copeland

"Be ordering your behavior within the sphere of love, even as Christ also loved you and gave himself up in our behalf and in our stead as an offering and a sacrifice to God for an aroma of a sweet smell" (Eph. 5:2 Wuest).

There's no question about it, if you are a born-again believer, you want to walk in love...you can't help it; it's part of your new nature. But wanting to do it isn't enough. You have to go a step further and make a quality decision to do it!

You must make up your mind in advance to obey the instruction in Ephesians 5:2 and constantly order your behavior within the sphere of love. Notice I said in advance.

If you wait until you're facing a tough situation to decide how you want to respond, you'll almost certainly make the wrong choice. Rather than ordering your behavior by the law of love, you'll end up allowing circumstances or even the devil to order your behavior instead.

So prepare yourself now for what's ahead. If there's a person in your life who is particularly difficult to love, make them a special project. (That kind of person usually needs love even more than anyone else.)

Make plans not just to "put up with them," but to go out of your way to be kind and loving toward them.

"But Gloria," you may say, "You just don't know this person like I do. It would be too hard to love them. I can't do it."

Yes, you can! You're a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are filled with His Holy Spirit and power. And God has planted in your heart His very own love—the love that never fails. So make a decision to give over to that love and let it flow.

Then start strengthening your spirit by feeding on what the Word of God says about love. As you meditate on that Word, it will energize and create within you the power and desire to will and to work for God's good pleasure. It will increase your ability to walk in love.

Keep yourself on a steady diet of God's Word. Counteract the worldly voices and fleshly desires that pull away from love by filling your ears and your eyes with scriptures like 1 Corinthians 13.

Read them at night before you go to bed. Read them in the morning when you wake up. Write them out on note cards and tape them to your bathroom mirror so you can meditate on them while you're brushing your teeth.

If you do that, I guarantee you, that Word will come alive in you. It will talk to you and help you stick with your decision to walk in love. When you get fed up with someone, and you're about to tell them off, it will speak up and remind you that love is not touchy, fretful, or resentful.

Then, instead of giving that person a piece of your mind, you'll give him the love of God, and he'll be blessed. God will be pleased. And you'll have the victory!

Speak the Word: I walk in love, even as Christ has loved me. (Ephesians 5:2)

For Further Study: Romans 12:9-21

Daily Scripture Reading: Job 29-30; Revelation 14

Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries