Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.When most people hear the phrase "walk in love," they immediately focus on its emotional aspects and think about affairs of the heart. But if your love walk is based solely on emotions, then your faith walk is seriously hindered.
(Eph. 5:1-2 NKJV)
God wants us to walk by the Spirit. He desires for us to be rooted and grounded in agape love, or the "God-kind-of-love," which is based on faith and commitment rather than fleeting emotions.
Love + Faith = Victory
If you increase your love walk, you'll increase your faith walk, and if you increase your faith walk, you'll increase the anointing to have burdens removed and yokes destroyed in your life and the lives of those around you.
Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Faith works by love just like a flashlight works by batteries. Therefore, in order to get the flashlight of faith working, put your batteries of love in place.
Jesus says in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." He is telling us that the evidence of our love for Him is in keeping His commandments. He says,
...ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. This is the commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.The evidence of your love for God is displayed in your love for others. Sometimes people fail to walk in love because they are afraid that someone will take advantage of them.
(John 15:10,12)
People may indeed try to take advantage of you, but wisdom comes with possessing God's kind of love. For instance, the best way to love a person is to commit yourself to doing everything God tells you to do for him or her.
Loving Your Enemies
Look at what it says in the book of Matthew:
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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven….You may have bitterness against your parents, ex-spouse, another race of people, or members of the church you attended years ago. It makes no difference how bad your life is now or was before.
(Matt. 5:44-45)
The fact is you cannot hold others responsible for your hatred. Your feelings will only keep you in strife, and your bondage will become even greater if you don't get rid of it!
When Jesus said to do good to those that hate you, He didn't say that you are to do good to everybody except for that black man, that white man, or that former friend. You are walking in deception if you call yourself a Christian and are still harboring hatred in your heart. Holding on to unforgiveness is not worth the price you pay. It could eventually cost you your soul.
When God tells us to love our enemies, He is not telling us to do something that He is unwilling to do Himself. I am so glad that He is not sitting on His throne with the same kind of attitude toward mankind that people have toward Him.
To get rid of unforgiveness, deposit the Word in your heart. Get it before your eyes, put it in your ears, and keep it on your mouth. Make a quality decision to forgive those who have hurt you, and then turn away from holding a grudge. If you don't, you'll continue to live in bondage and the blessings of God will be hindered in your life.
Love that passes Knowledge
When you possess character, you purpose to do right even when you have been wronged. Your righteousness opens the door for God Almighty to come in and release an anointing to correct the situation.
Here are some key points on the value and benefits of walking in God's love.
- When you abide in the love of God, you will lack no good thing (Ps. 34:10). You will become so involved with His mission for mankind that prosperity, the anointing, and everything else you need will come automatically.
- When you truly know the love of the Father, you will better understand that whatever God has invested in you is for you to share with someone else.
- To benefit from the highest manifestation of love, become an intercessor for your enemies. Jesus interceded for us by dying on the cross while we were still sinners; therefore, we must put all malice aside and pray for those who are still outside of God's will.
- Pay more attention to what God has done for you than what others have done to you. This makes it easier to walk in the love of the Father.
- Finally, consider the unconditional love demonstrated by Jesus, Who made Himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant (Phil. 2:5-7).
Begin to walk in the God-kind-of-love today. Let the mind of Christ reign supreme. It will not only change your life, but the lives of others as you demonstrate God's excellence through love.
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