BA7181CDE0D426B7C91BBD8C7C9E62_h300_w400_m2_bblack_q100_p100_crIGuQsmX[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=

Hey ladies! It’s another fabulous day in blog land. And today, I’ll be chatting with you about loving our fellow sisters in the body of Christ. I know this can be a tough one to accomplish, but according to our Bible, it is a commandment that we must obey. Soooo, we have to get this one right, especially as the day of the Lord draws near. Now without further delay, let’s jump into this hot topic! And I do mean hot, because if we’re honest with one another, this can make your skin boil in the right temperature. If it were not so, then there wouldn’t be as many Scriptures on the subject matter. Amen!

I have to note here that as I lay in bed resting last night listening to the Bible on my phone (a must have!), this topic resonated in my spirit...“Love your Christian brothers and sisters.” And as the audio read on, in so many chapters and verses, I would hear it again and again. I knew God was trying to get something to me. I also believe that if you’ve stumbled across this blog post, He’s trying to get something to you today as well (and maybe even a friend or loved one). Listen to what He wants us to grasp…“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too.” (1 John 4:20-21 NLT)

Now, you might be saying, "Well, I don't really hate my sister, I just dislike her ways." Understandable. However, it's your (our) responsibility to make it right with God and with the person through genuine love acts and prayer (sometimes even through fasting). 1 John 3:18 says, "Dear children, let us stop just saying that we love each other; let us really show it in our actions." On the flip side, if you sense a feeling of hatred for someone, then you really have to settle this with the Lord quickly. Because 1 John 3:15 says, "Anyone who hates another Christian is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them." So in this case, it's highly important to acknowledge it, repent, and make it right quickly. It's just not worth the consequences.

The point here today is that we understand that "yes", sometimes as we fellowship with one another and work with each other in the body of Christ, there will sometimes be friction. It happens! We just have to know that when the friction does occur, we have to make a conscious effort not to convey evil by backbiting, slander, gossip, being rude, fighting, holding a grudge, or even avoidance. Because if we allow these things to take root in our hearts, then we open the dangerous door to bitterness, envy, jealousy, rage, and unforgiveness. These are all heart issues and sin, and they do not please God. So if we find ourselves in that dark place, the word of God beckons us to choose “love” and that is living in the light.

According to the Bible, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT) There it is! This is love defined. Now, really dissect this Scripture for yourself. Really! Break it down line by line, and examine your love walk. How is it? I have to do the same thing. God commands us to love one another. This is also a fruit of the Spirit that we must possess (Galations 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such, there is no law.” NLT)

Listen, my sister. None of us are perfect, but we’re striving to be. So if you have found yourself to be a little unloving lately (or even yourself not being “loveable”), you can go to God in prayer, repent, and ask for His forgiveness, because we have to get this love walk right. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I believe once we do this and activate “love” no matter what the circumstance, we will truly experience God’s peace. And there’s nothing quite like it! So choose to love my sister. I know it’s tough sometimes, but I just believe that it’s worth it! Let's love our sisters in Christ! Amen.

woman-hugging[1]

Remember, Jesus is coming back soon. Let’s get ready from the Inside Out.

~Courtnaye

Thanks for reading! Like, comment, or share from my Facebook Fan Page and “Like” it while you’re there ( http://www.facebook.com/InsideOutWCourtnaye). Also feel absolutely free to leave a comment here! I’d love to get your feedback! I pray that God will continue to enlighten you to live for Him through His word in your daily life. Stay tuned for new blog posts every Monday at 7:30am on Inside Out with Courtnaye @  www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org.  Also, follow me on Twitter by inoutwcourtnaye. Thanks again![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]