Power part 3
It takes power to do something powerful. Makes sense, right? But watch this: The word "power" in 2 Timothy 1:7 is number 1411 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "force; specifically miraculous power." And since we're talking about love I want to say this as clearly as I can: Love is a miracle. Love is THE miracle. Power, love, and a sound mind. That's the spirit (Spirit) we've been given. And, again, all of those things are the same thing. Love is the power, or the force, that makes a difference in this world. Love is the light that was spoken into the darkness. Let me say it this way: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). There's a motivation there, and the power to back it up. Which I think is one of the biggest misconceptions about love. People seem to think love HAS a motive, when in fact (and in truth) love IS the motive. God's good pleasure is love. When people love each other, God is happy. That's what He wants. Because that's what He is. Now watch this: "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). Link that up with this: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:32-33). Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. The power seat. And as He is, so are we in this world. We are in Him because He is in us. WE are seated at the right hand of the Father. The power seat. And it is from there that Jesus hath shed forth the light of the world. The LOVE of the world. God is light. God is love. Light is love. We have the power to shine. The power to do something powerful. To make a difference in people's lives. By laying our own lives down for them. By giving everything we have and everything we are without worrying about what comes next. If you're loving someone in the hopes of getting something... you aren't really loving them at all. At best you're working on control and manipulation. Love is NEVER about getting. Because love IS giving. Remember how we saw that we were not given a spirit of fear? And that meant fear of doing something. Fear of loving people. Fear of giving what we've got. That's what we were NOT given. Because we WERE given the sound mind. The mind of Christ that thinks the thoughts of Christ. Both to will and to do. Not this "fake it 'til you make it" idea. But a "I'm so full of love it just comes out naturally and gets all over everyone I come into contact" deal. Which, as I said, really is a miracle. We think a miracle has to be, like, the lame walking. And it is that. But don't discount the miracle of making someone smile. Of seeing a need and meeting that need. Of helping someone who was beginning to feel hopeless. Sometimes the little things ARE the big things. Sometimes the little things matter the most. Paying attention to someone. Listening. HEARING. Giving a hug, or a shoulder to cry on. But it takes power to do something powerful. It takes knowing what you've got in order to give what you've got. You have love. You ARE love. You are strong. You don't have to be afraid. You are loved... you can love!