DAILY DEVOTIONS with MICHELE

Love is the key factor that identifies us as children of God. What was it Jesus said? Did Jesus say people would know us by our denomination? Did He say they would know us by the size of our buildings? No. He said they would know us by our love.

Whether we like it or not, we must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We can’t go by feelings. If we go by feelings, we’ll never tithe. If we go by feelings, we’ll always get offended. If we go by feelings, we’ll never love people who hurt us. It’s a love test.

Many of us assume that because we are Christians, we know how to love. We think we know all about love because  we think we know all about God. Yes, we know the Bible tells us that God is love (see 1 Jn. 4:8). We also know that God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior (see Rom. 5:5).

Once we understand spiritual maturity, we can begin to understand what is involved in spiritual warfare. Most folks understand that effective engagement in spiritual warfare requires some degree of spiritual maturity, but they do not understand why.

For many of us, childhood was a time of simple pleasures. We occupied ourselves with having fun, hanging out with friends, dreaming about the future, and being spoiled by our grandparents. As children, we lived carefree lives. Our biggest concerns may have been who we would play with at recess, what we were going to get for Christmas, or how we would celebrate our birthday. Relatively speaking, childhood was a time of exploring and fulfilling our heart’s desires. Little was expected of us and much was given.

18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:18-19

God’s love never quits. The love of God is faithful, loyal, and steadfast. God’s love endures to the end and never fails. When you understand that love is not a feeling, you can always choose to love instead of being swept away by whatever you feel.

Serving God is one of the most important principles of the Christian faith, as believers we are expected to help the church with a joyful spirit. “Love one another.” “Care for one another.” “Pray for one another.” “Encourage one another.” “Help one another.” “Counsel one another.” “Support one another.” Scripture repeatedly tells us of our relationship to God and others through service. The Bible teaches that serving God and others is not about doing great things but about doing small things with great love. We can serve God and others daily by being kind to our neighbors, volunteering our time to help others, and giving to those in need. We must remember that serving others may not always be easy, but God's grace and strength will help us. Secondly, we must remember that nothing is too small that God will not use it. Nothing we do for God is in vain! Happy Monday, have an amazing week!  Michele

When you start serving, everything seems to improve. Why? Because you get the focus off of you and your problems and you being living for a greater purpose. As you begin to humbly serve, many doors will open for God to speak to you and bless you.As you begin to use your life to give to others, what you give will come back to you in a magnificent way.