TRUE LOVE MANIFESTED IN A DAUGHTER'S LOVE
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Honoring your father entails loving him with God’s love, described in I Corinthains 13. -This kind of love suffers long. (vs 4) It takes wrong done with a patient spirit, and refuses to dip into a spirit of self pity or demand God or others to remove the difficulty. -This kind of love envieth not. (vs 4) It does not wish it’s circumstances or situation were different, but accepts them from God’s hand without complaining or day dreaming about ‘when things will be different.’ -This kind of love vaunteth not itself. (vs 4) It refuses to lift up self, and its interest, in order to gain favor from others or position within the framework of your life. -This kind of love is not puffed up. (vs 4) It refuses to walk around with an exalted opinion of self, looking for opportunities to exert self in pursuing self-gratifying interests. -This kind of love does not behave itself unseemly. (vs 5) It makes sure its actions are fitting to a Christian, a lady, and a daughter. It does not act foolishly, proudly, sensuously, or deceitfully. -This kind of love seeketh not her own. (vs 5) It is not consumed with how everything is going to affect her, but thinks of how to make choices that will primarily benefit others. -This kind of love is not easily provoked. (vs 5) It is not willing to respond in anger, irritation or frustration when faced with the unpredictable and unjust demands of others. -This kind of love thinketh no evil. (vs 5) It refuses to dwell on those negative thoughts about what your father did....why it wasn’t fair...how you can get him back. Thinking no evil involves refusing to tear down your father in your mind, with your actions, or with your words. “A wise woman buildeth her house, but a foolish woman plucketh it down with her hands.” (Proverbs 14:1) -This kind of love rejoiceth not in iniquity. (vs 6) It is not willing to enjoy sinful thoughts, unprofitable conversation, or unkind actions that would cause your father to not be blameless in his life for Christ. It flees any kind of association with people, situations, or media that would make one insensitive to unholy choices in behavior and attitudes. -This kind of love rejoiceth in the truth. (vs 6) It has purposed to love all things that are true and right, immersing one’s self in them, and allowing the truth of God and His Spirit to mold your person and modulate the desires of the heart. -This kind of love beareth all things. (vs 7) It is willing and ready to bear whatever is necessary for lifting up the cause of Christ in the situation, or in showing a true Christ-like spirit to your father. We can learn to win others to a deeper walk with Christ when we are willing to be the example in areas wherein we might have received extra grace from the Lord. -This kind of love believeth all things. (vs 7) It has faith in God that is not dependent upon how I feel or what things look like. It purposes to have a positive attitude about everyone and everything... recognizing that God has a loving plan for each one similar to the loving plan He has for my life, and He is able to work everything for good in accordance to that plan. -This kind of love hopeth all things. (vs 7) It chooses to know that with God all things are possible and to believe that God has a plan for good that He is able to work out, even when others fail us or we fail ourselves. There is no room for fear or anxiety when a daughter chooses to believe that her Heavenly Father is in control of her life. -This kind of love endureth all things. (vs 7) It is willing to always bear about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus... so then death worketh in us, so that life can be worked in others. (2 Cor 4:10,12) This means that the daughter has made herself a living sacrifice for whatever the Lord Jesus would use her for. Her sacrifice allows her to be used by God at any moment and in any fashion. He is able to do His work as a result of her acceptance with joy of His choices in her life, and she is a conduit for God’s love to flow freely through her to her father, her family, and to everyone she comes in contact with. -This kind of love never faileth. (vs 8) It is a love that is unconditional, never wavering in its purpose to put the other person and their eternal interests above their own. {Read the entire article in Volume 8#4} |
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