I heard a young man say once: “There are two ways to enter a room. You can see ‘Here I am!’ or you can say ‘THERE you are!”
If you want to have the best year ever in school this year, walk in the door every morning saying; “There you are!”
You desire to be loved and liked. Devote yourself to loving others. Challenge yourself to show interest in others. Decicate yourself to serving others. Commit to listening to others. Don’t look for people to love you, look for people to love. Don’t try to find people to serve you. Find people to serve. Don’t try to get people to listen to you, find people to listen to. Don’t try to get them interested in our life, be interested in their life.
The Apostle Paul understood this and wrote about it in 2 Cor. 13:15 “I will most gladly… spend and be spent for our souls, though the more abundantly I love you the less I am loved…”
Five Ways to Love:
1. Love by Giving. (John 3:16) “…for God so loved the world that he gave….”
2. Love by Serving. “…even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” (Matthew 20:28) “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4, ESV)
3. Love by Listening. James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Proverbs 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. Proverbs 29:11 A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
4. Love by Encouraging. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15
5. Love by Never Speaking Evil. “…speak evil of no man…” (Titus 3:2ff)
Now when you fail at this, and you will, remember that it is only possible through Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:7–9, ESV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)
I hope you have a great day… today and the best year ever!
