Loving Man - Be Kind

 

In our dealings with people, kindness must always be visible. It is not sufficient to be right, we must also show kindness.

The final test before Isaac came was Abraham showing kindness to 3 strangers.[Genesis 18:1-5]

David helped a dying Egyptian and got his family and properties back [1Sam 30:11] *(you really have no excuse to be wicked)*. You will often find that kindness opens more doors than your skills ever could.

*They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. [1Sam 30:11-12]*

*One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby.* *When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.* *"My lord," he said,if it pleases you, stop here for a whileRest in the shade of this tree while my servants get some water to wash your feet. Let me prepare some food to refresh you. Please stay awhile before continuing on your journey. "All right," they said. "Do as you have said." [Gen 18:1-5]*

 *Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.[Ephesians 4:32]*

2 *Loving Man - make allowance for faults*

Can we quickly agree now that persons you trust most will offend you and do things that you least expect ( Peter denying Christ), yes they will and that is what makes us humans.

What you can do then is to make allowance for people's faults in advance, to make excuses for them in your heart, with the understanding that we are all being perfected.

Love, as scriptures says, covers a multitude of sins [1Peter 4:8]. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.

*Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.[Ephesians 4:2]*

*Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. [Colossians 3:13]*

3 *Loving Man - Be patient in love*

It is patient love that keeps the gold smith going, because the end product is nothing compared with the raw material. Majority of the believers around you are not yet finished products and you need to recognize that and be the smith on their way

to maturity.

Several of the things you are angry with about people now will not be there in a few years, yet your attitude to them will linger. So deal with people with patience knowing their gold cometh.

*'Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up...[1Corinthians 13:4-7]'*

*There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.[John 16:12-13]*

 *But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! [Galatians 5:22]*

4 *Loving Man - correct in love*

Correction is a necessary part of love, never shy away from correcting a fellow Christian having previously instructed him/her. You are showing love by preventing a worse incident when you correct. Of course, it must be done in love.

The where and how of correction matters. Avoid public corrections except when the incident is capable of influencing others who heard or saw it. The goal is always a change of attitude not humiliation. Once you have made the correction, let it end there. And if you are on the receiving end of a correction, receive it as a sign of love. Don't be so hung up on the way the correction came, see the lesson inherent. You can not always determine how and when you will be corrected, but you can choose to grow from the rebuke.

And never see corrections as judgment or condemnation. It is an opportunity for you to grow. People that truly love you will correct you, it should be your criteria for friendship in fact.

*I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways.[2Cor 7:8-9]*

 *But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.[Gal 2:11]*

*An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. [Prov 27:5-6]*

5 *Loving Man - Giving*

Just as God's love was shown by giving even so will your love be shown by giving. Give to the people around you because you love them.

Give your money and resources, give your time and skills, give opportunities for growth.

Give a smile and words of encouragement. The greatest gift you can give to your world is the gospel, preach Christ to your world, their eternity depends on it.

 

*If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. [1John 3:17-18]*

*One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. [Proverbs 11:24-15]*

*The fruit of the righteous [is a] tree of life, And he who wins souls [is] wise. [Proverbs 11:30]*

*And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' [Acts 20:35]*

6 *Loving Man - Forgiveness*

We cannot talk about loving man without talking about forgiveness. Having done your best to walk in love with people, you will still be hurt by them one way or the other and you must forgive.

We forgive primarily because we are also recipients of God's forgiveness and he commands us to forgive others. It is worth noting also that you will have need to forgive those closest to you the more. Forgive and let it go. 

*But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. [Mark 11:25]*

*So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them [Luke 17:3]*

*Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.[Colossians 3:13]*

7 *Loving Man - Love yourself*

In rounding up our discussion on love, it is important to remind you that you need to love yourself. *'You' are important.*

Care for *'you', be kind to 'you' , pray for 'you', make allowance for 'you' to grow, 'you' deserve the best.*

While your life cannot and should not be all about you, never forget *that you matter and you can only love others to the degree that you love yourself*, And perhaps the most important way to love you is to forgive yourself. We have all made mistakes to different degrees but allowing those mistakes to dictate your future is a disservice to God.

God has forgiven you, so let the burden go and see the opportunities God is bringing your way. Don't believe the lie of the devil that keeps you in depression.

Let go of the past sir/ma; see, it's a new beginning and God is on your side.

 *I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex!* 

*Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking.* 

*It simply amazes me to think about it!* 

*How thoroughly you know me, Lord!*

*You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully* *[Psalms 139:14-15]* 

 *For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” and every other commandment can be summed up in these words: “Love and value others the same way you love and value yourself.”[Romans 13:9* ]

*For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.[Galatians 5:14]*