Tuesday, May 27, 2014

“Say It – Do It – Show It – Prove It”
A powerful song by the group Brownstone recorded in 1994 was “If You Love Me.” The chorus is:
If you love me, say it
If you trust me, do it
If you want me, show it
If you need me, prove it
People can often be heard saying “I Love You.” As I become more attentive, I realize that this is often said so casually. I have heard and even been guilty of saying it, maybe out of habit? But just saying it is easy…it means nothing.
Love is defined as a noun: “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person” and as a verb: “to feel great affection for (someone); to like or desire (something) very much; to take great pleasure in (something).”
The word “Love” appears 500 times in The Bible (NKJV). http://www.biblegateway.com  A few of them include:
John 3:16 (NKJV): “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV): “4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails…”
Galatians 5:22 (NKJV): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV): “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’ ”
1 John 4:16 (NKJV): “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
Love is an “action” word.  How do you do it?
10 Ways to Love are:
  1. LISTEN without interrupting
  2. SPEAK without accusing
  3. GIVE without sparing
  4. PRAY without ceasing
  5. ANSWER without arguing
  6. SHARE without pretending
  7. ENJOY without complaint
  8. TRUST without wavering
  9. FORGIVE without punishing
  10. PROMISE without forgetting

“Love is not a feeling. Love is an action, an activity. . .Genuine love implies commitment and the exercise of wisdom. . . . love is the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.....”-M.Scott Peck
“Yesterday’s ‘I Love You’ isn’t good enough for today. Every day, you need to express it – with your words & your compliments.” – Joel Osteen

Start Today! If you truly love someone, “Say It – Do It – Show It – Prove It.”

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