The God kind of love is necessary to your life like a belt is necessary to hold up your pants. Putting on the new man, the boughs of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, teach ability, long suffering, forbearance and forgiveness, are highly important. But love must be worn above all else. For it is the bond of perfectness.
In other words, love is what makes the Word work in your life. The reason you forgive, the reason you have long suffering, the reason you have a correct opinion of yourself is the love of God that is in you. Love wraps it all together. It is like the belt that holds up the pants.
And believe me, you want to wear a belt that holds up your pants. I was preaching once and I was wearing suspenders. I was going along and as I made a point - poing! that suspender popped. Then I made another point and poing! - the other one popped. And when they popped, my pants decided to go south on one side.
The next thing out of my mouth was, "... and every head's bowed, every eye's closed in prayer." That's the second worst thing that can happen to a preacher in the pulpit. I won't tell you what the worst is. The point I'm making is love is the belt that ties everything together. I needed a belt to hold my pants up, like we all need to walk in love to hold our life together.
The decision to love is where you start. You may say, "I have a hard time forgiving so and so." Make a decision to operate in this kind of love. "Yeah, but what about such and such?" Decide first, then long suffering will follow. Love is what holds everything together. It's what keeps you clothed in the new man. And unlike my suspenders that day, love will not break.
Love will always work. The decision to walk in love will cause you to be able to deal with this same person over and over and over again. And you will notice one day that you are acting just like Jesus.
Scripture References: Matthew 11:29-30; 1 Peter 2:21-22
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).
