Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO

WEEK THREE

WEEK FOUR

WEEK FIVE

WEEK SIX

WEEK SEVEN

WEEK EIGHT

WEEK NINE

WEEK TEN

WEEK ELEVEN

WEEK TWELVE

WEEK THIRTEEN

WEEK FOURTEEN

WEEK FIFTEEN

NOTE FROM AUTHOR

The LOVE Walk

A 15 - Week Devotional on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Amanda Beth

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible.

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,

1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

The LOVE Walk

A 15 - Week Devotional on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Amanda Beth

P.O. Box 183796

Shelby Township, MI 48318-3796

Email: authoramandabeth@gmail.com

Website: www.amandabeth.net

Blog: www.sharingtruths.com

Cover Photo by:

Tami Rogers with Attic Chat Photography

Ft. Myers, FL.

http://www.atticchatphotography.com

Copyright © 2012 Amanda Beth

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1479346063

ISBN-13: 978-1479346066

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My deepest appreciation to…

My Lord Jesus Christ. Without His unconditional love, I would not know what love truly means.

My husband for his ongoing support and unconditional love.

Tami Rogers with Attic Chat Photography for the beautiful cover picture. Tami and her husband have a photography and production business called Attic Chat. They’re located in Ft. Myers, FL. You can follow them at: http://www.atticchatphotography.com

Kerry Johnson for her wonderful patience and expertise in editing “The LOVE Walk.” You can follow Kerry on her blog “A Lamp, A Light, And A Writer” at: https://candidkerry.wordpress.com

Steve Sawyer for his great mentorship and writing help. You can follow Steve on his blog “For His Glory” at: https://stevensawyer.wordpress.com

My mother and sister for all their support and help with reading and editing my books.

All my internet friends and bloggers for their encouragements, prayers, and ongoing support.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails …”

~1 Corinthians 13:4-8

INTRODUCTION

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

~1 John 4:16

Before you read “The LOVE Walk” it’s important to understand that you can’t love others without first receiving God’s love. Jesus instructed us to:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

—Mark 12:30-31

The first command, loving God, is a bridge to the second command, loving others. The first command is only possible by first understanding how much God loves you. God displayed His great love for you by sending Jesus to set you free from the power of sin and to open the door to a restored relationship with Him. We were powerless to be holy on our own. So God made a way through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

—1 John 4:7-10

As you allow Jesus into your life, God will send His Holy Spirit to purify your heart and fill it with His love, so you will have love to give to others.

… For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

—Romans 5:5 (NLT)

As you read the different characteristics of love each week, view them not as impossible commands, but as promises that Jesus made possible for you to do. God never commands us to do anything that He hasn’t already equipped us to do.

Each devotional includes an encouragement, a prayer, verses to meditate on, and one verse to memorize to help you in your love walk. Additionally, there are questions to reflect on for personal or group study at the end of each chapter.

Once you complete the study, I encourage you to write down the areas you struggle with most. Go back and continue studying those characteristics in God’s Word. The Bible says, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45). With God’s help and a little determination, you can be free to walk in love!

WEEK ONE

Love… is patient

~1 Corinthians 13:4

My husband would say if you looked up the antonym for patience you’d find my name. Patience is not my strong suit. I remember once rushing through a teaching on patience and having to go back over it and read it again. I am impatient even when trying to learn about patience.

I know I am not alone. During one of my women’s Bible studies, a woman asked us to pray for her to have patience. At once, all the women in the room shouted, “Oh no! You don’t want to pray for that! You’ll be tested!”

No one wants to be tested with patience because that means we’ll have to wait for something. Yet I have learned that waiting isn’t the difficult part. It’s keeping a good attitude while we wait that’s challenging.

I was tested in this area once while studying patience. I was in a hurry one day when I quickly stopped to order my kids lunch through the drive-thru. After receiving my order, I drove away and realized they forgot an item.

As I was grumbling that I had to go back and wait in the long line when I was already running late, my daughter calls out from the back seat, “Mom, aren’t you studying patience this week?” I responded, “Yes,” and asked her how she knew that. She responded, “Because whenever you study patience you get impatient.”

It doesn’t feel too good when God humbles you through your children. However, it showed me I needed to be tested in that area because I kept failing.

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.

—Colossians 1:11 (ESV)

We spend most of our lives waiting for something. So there are many opportunities the devil can use to tempt us to lose our patience. I lost my patience once and my husband expressed, “The devil is laughing at you because you fell right into his trap.” It angered me that I made the devil happy because of my lack of self-control.

The Bible instructs us:

And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety) … For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

—2 Peter 1:6, 8 (AMP)

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit God has given us (Galatians 5:22-23). When we exercise knowledge (discernment) in situations where we are tempted to lose our patience, the fruit of self-control starts to develop. We don’t instantly walk in self-control; it has to develop in us. The only way to develop it is through times of testing, when we have an opportunity to exercise it.

As we exercise self-control, we start to develop patience. The more we exercise it, the more it develops. When we develop patience, we develop godliness, and then Christ’s love can be seen through us. This is why the devil works hard to tempt us to lose our patience. We lose our self-control when we are impatient and we don’t walk in love.

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

—Romans 5:3-4 (AMP)

We can face our trials with a joyful attitude because we know we need them to develop endurance, to keep us pressing on and maturing in Christ.

I used to be very impatient toward my husband and children. They couldn’t do anything wrong without me losing my patience. I’d always try to change, but my impatience only seemed to get worse. I wasn’t able to change until I learned that I had the fruit of self-control in me and I needed to yield to God and allow Him to develop it in me.

This knowledge helped me in situations when I had to use self-control. At first, it wasn’t easy and I failed many times. But the more I leaned on God and kept working at it, the easier it became because His fruit of self-control started to develop in me.

The Holy Spirit’s fruit works the same as edible fruit. It starts as a seed, and as long as you feed it and don’t neglect it, it eventually develops into fruit. When God is working on an area with me, at times it feels like it’s always going to be a struggle. Then one day I suddenly realize it’s not as difficult because the fruit begins to develop.

We need to yield to the Holy Spirit whenever we get in a situation where we are tempted to lose our patience. The more we yield, the more fruit God can develop in us, and the more we will walk in love.

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Week One Love Walk: Patience

1 Corinthians 10:13 says that God always provides a way out when we are tempted. I encourage you this week to take that way out and practice self-control whenever you are tempted to lose your patience. Don’t let the devil steal your joy. Stand firm by keeping a good attitude while you wait on God to develop His fruit in you.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

—James 1:4 (AKJV)

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You that You have given me the fruit of the Spirit to help me walk in love. Help me to be patient with myself and others, as I wait on You to develop and mature Your fruit in me. Show me the way out every time I am tempted to lose my patience, and help me to keep a joyful spirit.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

James 1:4; Galatians 6:9; Romans 12:12; James 5:7-8

Week One Reflection:

Were you able to take the way out of temptation and patiently and joyfully walk in self-control this week?

Share one success and one failure with keeping your patience. What did you learn from both?

Did you find it harder to be patient with yourself or others this week?

WEEK TWO

Love… is kind

~1 Corinthians 13:4

Kindness does not come without mercy. As God displays His kindness toward us out of His great mercy, we need to be merciful in order to be kind to others. If we don’t continually receive God’s mercy for ourselves, our hearts will not be merciful to others. We can’t convey true kindness without a merciful heart.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

—Colossians 3:12

We can’t put something on that we don’t know we have. If we don’t believe we are made holy by Jesus, and that God loves us unconditionally, we won’t be able to put on any characteristic of love. If we always think God is disappointed in us, we won’t be able to move forward in allowing Him to work in us. We may show acts of kindness toward others, but we won’t be able to truly feel mercy for them when we’re not being merciful with ourselves.

We should view ourselves through God’s eyes. When God looks at us, He sees His righteousness in us. He sees what His power working in us can accomplish.

Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” And Psalm 138:8 says, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your loving kindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands” (NASB).

If God sees us as patient, kind, and loving already, it should encourage and motivate us to live up to that. We often think about what wretched sinners we are, but we should be thinking that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

When I think about how sinful I am, I find myself falling into sin more because I’m so down on myself that I am easily led astray. I unconsciously live up to what I think about myself. I am a sinner so I live up to that.

But when I see myself as God sees me, I want to live up to that. It motivates me to live a holy life because I don’t have that constant disappointment of failure.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

—Galatians 5:13

We don’t ever have to worry if we are doing enough to please God. God has set us free because of His great mercy and love for us, so we can be merciful and love others.

Does this mean we should never feel sorrow for our sins? No, we are to confess and repent when we purposely do something wrong (1 John 1:9). But when God is working with us in an area, we don’t need to beat ourselves up every time we fall.

When my kids were babies learning how to walk, I didn’t yell at them every time they fell. I lifted them up and encouraged them to continue trying. God works with us the same. He doesn’t get mad when we fall. He lifts us up and encourages us to continue walking with Him.

Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.

—Psalm 37:24 (AMP)

Take a look at the woman in Luke 7:37-38 who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears because of her sinful life:

When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

In verse 50, Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The Bible doesn’t say this woman continued crying at His feet over her sins, nor did it say she returned to Him in tears every time she slipped up after. She went away in peace that day knowing she was completely forgiven for her past, present, and future sins.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.

—Luke 7:47

Once we begin to grasp how much we have been forgiven, we will be able to love others the way God calls us to. When we realize how many times we have offended God and turned our hearts away from Him, and yet He still offers us forgiveness and grace, then we will have no excuse but to be merciful to others.

Our world needs to see genuine, merciful kindness. There are not many people who are truly merciful. You can’t dare make one mistake or people may cut you off and turn their backs on you. Even worse, when you do what is right, people may despise you more because your loving-kindness convicts them of their wrong doings.

Thank God He doesn’t treat us that way. God’s mercy is never-ending. Isaiah 30:18 says, “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion …” We can follow God’s example by being merciful and kind to everyone, including ourselves.

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Week Two Love Walk: Kindness

Don’t wait for people to be kind to you. I encourage you this week to go out and show people God’s mercy and loving-kindness. Remember, you’ve been forgiven so that your heart can be merciful to others.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

—Ephesians 4:32

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for being merciful to me. Help me to be merciful to others. Thank You for forgiving all my sins. In return, help me joyfully forgive others for their offenses toward me and show them Your loving-kindness.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Ephesians 4:32; Titus 3:4-5; Romans 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Week Two Reflection:

Were you merciful toward yourself this week?

Share an opportunity you had to show someone else God’s mercy.

Share how the verses you meditated on helped you through a difficult situation this week.

WEEK THREE

Love… does not envy

~1 Corinthians 13:4

To be envious means to be discontent with who we are and what we have, and to be jealous of and covet what someone else has. The Amplified Bible defines envy as “an evil eye” because it is not of God, it is of the devil, as James 3:14-16 warns us:

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

When we allow envy into our hearts, we open the door to the devil and lead ourselves into his deception.

I used to be extremely envious of others. If I saw someone with a certain look or personality I wanted, I’d try to change my appearance or personality to be like them. I remember buying eyebrow stencils that were shaped like my favorite movie stars’ brows because I wanted to look like them. I don’t know why I thought having their eyebrow shape would make me all of a sudden look like them. It actually did the opposite. It looked completely ridiculous on me.

I was young, naïve, and insecure. I always had to have something that someone else had or had to be better than others to feel good about myself. I spent too much of my time in competition with others.

I look back now and see how miserable I was living in constant discontent. I praise God for rescuing me, changing my heart, and showing me my true identity and worth in Christ. God has given me freedom by teaching me how to be content with who I am and not having to compete with others.

God doesn’t want us to be envious of anyone because He has something uniquely special for each and every one of us. We are each gifted and called to a divine purpose. If we always want what someone else has, we will miss out on God’s plan for our lives.

I’ve found that most of the things I thought I had to have, and was envious of in others, I didn’t even want. Envy blinds us of our true heart’s desires. That’s why the Bible calls it an evil eye, because we don’t see the truth when we harbor envy in our hearts. We are looking through a distorted eye.

I could share with you story after story about how envy distorted the truth in my life. I chased after so many things I never wanted because I was blinded by envy. One example was when I was in my early twenties, before I started walking with Christ.

I had been trying for many years to pursue a modeling career. Growing up, people would often tell me I should be a model because of my height. The more I heard it from others the more I wanted to pursue it. I did everything I could and spent a lot of time and money trying to make it happen.

Then, one day I finally succeeded and got accepted into a modeling agency. When the time came to fill out the contract, and I read all the things I needed to do, I suddenly realized that modeling was not something I wanted to do. I had coveted it for so long that I never stopped to think about what it entailed.

Envy deceives us. It makes us think we need something that we don’t even want. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Envy literally sucks the life out of us because it keeps us from being satisfied. I wasn’t satisfied when I finally succeeded and got accepted into that modeling agency. I was mad I wasted all that time and money chasing after something I never wanted in the first place.

And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

—Ecclesiastes 4:4

I remember the freedom I felt when I finally laid down everything I was chasing after and gave my will over to God’s will. When I stopped wanting what others had I became free to be me. It is freedom not to have to prove ourselves to anyone and chase after things that will never satisfy us.

By being content with what God has given me, He has been able to bring out His heart’s desires in me. I could never see those desires before because they were buried under envy, greed, and worldly lusts. I can honestly now look at others who succeed and be happy for them because I know I will succeed in God’s will for me. I don’t need to chase after what someone else has because I have my own purpose.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

… your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

—Psalm 139:13-14, 16

Awhile back, God revealed a promise and plan He had for me. Soon after, I saw someone receive the same promise I was believing God for. Instead of being envious, I sincerely felt happy for that person.

As I was telling God how amazing it was that He did that for them, I instantly heard Him say, “Wait until you see what I do for you!” I know without a doubt that was God speaking to me because I wasn’t even thinking about my breakthrough. I was just happy for that person and amazed at seeing God work. I don’t think I would’ve been able to hear that message from God had I been envious.

God is speaking His will to us, but we won’t hear it if we are envious of others and chasing after things that are not for us. We need to lay down our will in exchange for His perfect will. That is the only way we will be truly satisfied with our lives.

Let not your heart envy sinners: but BE YOU in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

—Proverbs 23:17 (AKJV, emphasis mine)

God is speaking this to you today, “Wait until you see what I do for YOU!”

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Week Three Love Walk: Envy

I encourage you this week not to let the devil deceive you into wanting what others have. He wants to keep you from all that God has for you. Don’t allow envy in to blind you from your true heart’s desire and God’s perfect plan for your life. Be content with what God has given you and wait for Him to bring to pass your full purpose and potential in Christ.

… be content with what you have, because God has

said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

—Hebrews 13:5

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for creating me. I am fearfully and wonderfully made by You for a special purpose. Lead me and guide me into Your plan and will for my life. Help me never to be envious of others and covet what they have. I know You will give me everything I need to do what You called me to do.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 139:14; Proverbs 14:30; Ecclesiastes 4:4

Week Three Reflection:

Share how God revealed His love to you this week.

Share an opportunity you had to rejoice for someone else’s blessing.

Was it difficult to rejoice for them? If so, why do think it was difficult?

WEEK FOUR

Love… does not boast

~1 Corinthians 13:4

This verse happens to be a popular saying in our household. Whenever one of my children receives something special, or praise for doing good, they immediately run to tell their siblings. The siblings then get jealous and tell the one who is bragging not to boast. The siblings usually then come running to my husband or me and tattle on the one who is boasting.

It’s hard not to boast. When we’re excited about something, we want to run and tell everyone. But just like with my kids, not everyone is going to share in our excitement. So does this mean we should never share our praises with others?

At one time, I made up my mind I would not talk about myself when I conversed with people. This went okay for the first few minutes of a conversation, but when the person asked about me, I’d give a short response and quickly switch the conversation back to them.

This made it uncomfortable for me and the one I was conversing with. I’d have to come up with a bunch of questions for them and they would have to focus on themselves by answering all my questions. This made me force people to boast about themselves. It didn’t take me long to learn there has to be a biblical balance.

All boasting isn't wrong, as the Bible explains:

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

But, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

—2 Corinthians 10:13, 17-18

I learned that boasting about the things I produce on my own effort leads to pride. Whereas, boasting about the things the Lord produces in and through me (spiritual fruit that will benefit others) leads to glorifying and praising God.

If no one ever shared how God works in their life, we would never be motivated to press on and take hold of all that God has for us. It blesses me to hear how God works in others, because I know that He has no favorites. If I hear that He is working in your life, then I know He will work in my life. This kind of boasting stirs people’s faith. The other kind of boasting stirs nothing but our own pride.

This doesn’t mean we share everything God does for us. The Apostle Paul set an example for us to learn the proper limits of boasting:

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.

—2 Corinthians 12:1-6

Paul boasted in others, and only things in himself that would benefit others. Even though he could boast about all the marvelous revelations he received from God, and be telling the truth, he chose to refrain himself so that people wouldn’t think higher of him than they ought to.

Not everyone wants to hear about all the good God is doing in our lives. We need to be sensitive to those we are conversing with and know when to refrain when we’re around those who don’t want to hear it.

When God called me to step out and write my first book on marriage, I was ecstatic. I wanted to tell everyone. But I quickly found out everyone didn’t share in my excitement. My boasting brought me down and did nothing to help others.

A friend told me recently that God warns us about sharing our visions with everyone. It can hurt us and feed others’ envy and jealousy, as we see in the story of Joseph. Joseph didn’t act wisely by sharing his dream with his brothers and father in Genesis 37, even though his heart was right and he was telling the truth.

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

—2 Corinthians 11:30

Instead of sharing only the good God was doing in my life, I should’ve shared about the attacks and testing that came along with the great responsibility. I should’ve shared how many times I fell and wanted to give up. I should’ve shared how my marriage was tested to the point where I felt completely inept to teach on marriage.

When we share our weaknesses and trials along with our blessings, it helps others relate because no one walks through life continually blessed and free of trials. When we only share our good, it makes others wonder what they are doing wrong. Our weaknesses help others know they are not alone. I learn the most from those who share their weaknesses and how God works in those weaknesses.

Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power; let not the person who is rich [in physical gratification and earthly wealth] glory and boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] riches; But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character], that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.

—Jeremiah 9:23-24 (AMP)

Don’t bring glory to yourself. Boast about the things of the Lord that will benefit others and bring glory to God!

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Week Four Love Walk: Boasting

I read a blog on love once by LynnMarie Earl at Realm Ministries.1 LynnMarie encouraged others to pray 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and substitute their names in place of “love.” I encourage you to do that this week. Confess that you are patient, you are kind, you are not envious, you are not boastful, etc.. There is great power in agreeing with God and speaking His Word over your life.

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

—Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for all the blessings You’ve given me. Help me to share Your blessings with others and not boast about myself. Give me opportunities to boast about knowing You and Your Son, Jesus, to lead others to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Isaiah 55:11; James 4:13-17; 2 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Week Four Reflection:

Share how confessing 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for yourself helped you this week.

Did you have an opportunity to boast about Jesus to someone this week?

Was it hard to distinguish between right and wrong boasting?

WEEK FIVE

Love… is not proud

~1 Corinthians 13:4

Pride is something everyone struggles with because it comes down to not submitting to God’s authority in some area of our lives. The Bible shares many examples of pride and the ramifications it brings. Here are just a few:

Pride Deceives

When I worked as a server, I waited on a family once who appeared wealthy. As the father stepped away from the table the family quickly cautioned me to do everything he requested, perfectly. They basically told me he was not to be disappointed.

I felt intimidated and was anxious the entire time I waited on them. After they left, I thought how deceived that man was. He thought because of his wealth he was higher than anyone else and deserved absolute perfection.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

—Galatians 6:3

Pride blinds us of our value and the value of others. When we are caught in pride, we inflate our value and devalue others. We all have the same value in God’s eyes. No one in this world is greater or less than anyone.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

—Galatians 3:28

The smartest, most successful man in the world is no different than you and me in God’s eyes. We are all sinners and Christ died for every one of us.

Pride Destroys

Pride is what led to the devil’s destruction. If he could become prideful after knowing God in His full glory, then how much more susceptible are we to pride? In 1 Timothy 3:6, as Paul was giving warning against putting a new convert in the position of overseeing the church, he explained, “he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.”

When we fall into pride, we stand against God who opposes the proud. It doesn’t take long to realize we can’t fight against God and win. When we continue in our pride, we open the door to the devil’s destruction. The devil deceives us by telling us we don’t need to submit to God so he can drag us down with him.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

—Proverbs 16:18

Whenever I fall into pride, thinking I’m so wise, God humbles me by allowing me to fall. It opens my eyes to see my weaknesses and reminds me that I can’t accomplish anything without God. I am absolutely nothing without Him.

Praise God that even when we fall, He is always there waiting to help us when we’re ready to humble ourselves and accept His help. Proverbs 24:16 says, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked” (NLT). “Godly” means “righteous.” We are made righteous when we receive Jesus. Without Jesus, we have nothing to protect us when we fall.

Pride Humiliates

I can’t count how many times I’ve acted in pride and found out later that it only made me look foolish. Those who are caught in pride are blinded from reality. Everyone else can see their folly except them.

This is one reason why God tells us to listen to advice, because when we are caught in pride we don’t see our faults.

Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

—Proverbs 13:10

God will often try to reach and humble us through others if we’ve ignored our own warnings. If we don’t humble ourselves, we’ll continue to make a fool of ourselves.

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

—Proverbs 19:20

Pride Does Not Promote Love

The more we grow with Christ, the greater temptation we have to fall into pride. We have to be careful that we don’t start thinking we are holier than others and forgetting that it is God who sanctifies us, not us.

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

—1 Corinthians 4:7

When we are proud and compare our sins to others, instead of to God’s Holiness, we will not be merciful to others. Pride does not promote love; it tears people down. We can’t love others when we think we are better than them.

Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!

—2 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT)

All the knowledge and wisdom we receive from God is futile if we don’t love others. People aren’t interested in how much we know. They’re looking for genuine love—the kind of love that we can only give by walking humbly before God.

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Week Five Love Walk: Pride

I’ve found the best way for me to stay out of pride is to be continually filled with praise and awe of what God has done in my life. Just remembering where I used to be, and where I still should be, and seeing where He has taken me, fills my heart with gratitude and keeps me humble. I encourage you to do the same this week. Fill your heart and lips with praises to the Lord for all He’s done for you.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

—Psalm 86:12

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You with all my heart. I praise You for all the wonderful things You have done and continue to do in my life. Keep me from falling into pride. Help me walk humbly before You. You alone are worthy of praise.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Psalm 86:12; Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 29:23; Philippians 2:3

Week Five Reflection:

Did you fill your heart with praises to God this week?

Were you able to see a change in your actions by humbly praising God?

Review the four ramifications of pride I shared. Share a situation where you experienced one or more of these ramifications because of pride.

WEEK SIX

Love… is not rude

~1 Corinthians 13:5

There are different ways we can convey rudeness. One way is through our remarks. Just today God convicted me of making a slightly rude remark to someone. I sold something on the internet and sent an invoice to the buyer with two shipping options. The buyer asked me to redo the invoice and list only the cheaper shipping option, when all he had to do was pick which shipping option he wanted when he paid for it. I made the change and resent it to him. But instead of sending it silently, I pointed out his mistake.

It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet.

—Proverbs 11:12 (NLT)

Why are we so quick to belittle others by pointing out their mistakes? Every time we criticize someone the plank in our eye grows, blinding us from our faults (Matthew 7:4-5).

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

—Proverbs 18:21

We have the power each day to speak death or life into the lives of others, while reaping its fruit into our lives. If we speak negative words to tear down others, we will reap negative fruit in our lives. If we speak words of life that encourage and bless others, we will be encouraged and blessed in return.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

—Ephesians 4:29

Another way we can convey rudeness is through our attitude. I was working on my computer one day while my husband was leaving for work. I had to get up several times to open the front door for him because he either forgot something or had something to tell me. I started to get annoyed, and by the third time I rolled my eyes and grumbled under my breath. On the way to the door God convicted me for getting an attitude. If I hadn’t yielded to His conviction, I would’ve responded rudely to my husband.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 2:5

Even when we don’t physically say anything rude, our attitude or tone of voice can convey rudeness. Rolling our eyes, huffing under our breath, and grumbling all convey a rude attitude.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

—Philippians 2:14-15

We don’t always have to have a bad attitude or spout out rude remarks to come off as rude. Our actions also can convey rudeness or disrespect for others. Here’s a few examples of rude actions that are common today:

• Do you borrow things from people but never return them? My mother returns everything that is not hers. She will even drive thirty minutes to my house just to drop off something I left at her house.

• Do you park in a handicap spot when you have two perfectly capable legs to walk on? I remember as a teenager thinking it was so cool to take my friend’s dad’s car to the mall because he had a handicap sticker and we could get front row parking. I never thought about those who needed to be in the front row because of a handicap.

• Do you leave your shopping cart in the middle of a parking space when the store has a designated area for carts? It drives me crazy if I have to get out of my car and move a cart before I can pull into a parking spot when someone could’ve put it in the empty cart rack a few feet away.

• Do you interrupt people when they’re talking? Do you blurt out replies before listening to what they have to say? Proverbs 18:13 says, “answering before listening is both stupid and rude” (MSG). I am so guilty of this verse that I even find myself replying to an email before I’m done reading it.

• Do you make promises but don’t follow through with them? I highly respect those who are reliable and trustworthy. It’s nice to have people you can count on to do what they say they are going to do, and to be there when they say they are going to be there.

• Do you ignore the “Please RSVP” when you receive an invitation? I have had parties where I ran out of food because people showed up who never told me they were coming. I have also had parties where I had a lot of leftovers because those who said they were coming never showed up or called.

We should think about others in every situation and do to them as we would want them to do to us (Luke 6:31). We love like Jesus when we show consideration and think of others above ourselves.

For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 2:21

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Week Six Love Walk: Rudeness

Our attitude is to be like Christ’s. We should strive to live by His example by treating others the way He treats us. I encourage you this week to pray and ask God to make you aware of ways you convey rudeness. Ask Him to help you lift others up, instead of bringing them and yourself down.

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

—John 13:15

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for Your kindness toward me. Help me to treat others the same as You treat me. Caution me when I am getting a rude attitude, speaking rude remarks, or doing something that isn’t kind. Thank You for giving me an attitude that is like Christ’s, so I can walk in love toward others.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

John 13:15; Romans 12:10; Proverbs 15:1; 1 Peter 3:9-10

Week Six Reflection:

How did prayer and meditating on Scripture help you in your love walk this week?

Of the three ways we can convey rudeness, is one way more difficult for you to control than another?

Think of one success in your love walk the past six weeks and praise God for working His love in you. Don’t recount your failures. Focus on your successes. God is working His love in you!

WEEK SEVEN

Love… is not self-seeking

~1 Corinthians 13:5

Selflessness does not mean “wanting to please others.” The Bible tells us to deny ourselves and lay down our lives for others, but if we learn from Jesus’ example, He didn’t live to please others. He lived to please God by doing His will, which was for the benefit of others.

In order to lay down our lives for the benefit of others we have to first lay down our will and submit it over to Jesus.

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

—2 Corinthians 5:15

After trying everything I possibly could in life, I hit a point when I gave up and said to God, “Here I am, Lord. If You can do anything with my life and have anything planned for me, I’m all Yours.” I stopped trying to plan my life and stopped seeking my own will. That’s when I opened the door for God to come in and live His will through me.

As we give ourselves to God, He works His love in us and enables us to love others. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Being married and having four young children who constantly need my attention, I sometimes feel like all I do is give of myself. At the end of the day there’s nothing left in me to give. I’ve learned that I need to spend time daily with God and allow Him to continually fill me with His love in order to continue giving myself to others.

We can’t give what we don’t have. We can’t give ourselves to others when we’re spiritually empty. Jesus often went without food to continue preaching and meeting the needs of others, but He never neglected His relationship with God.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

—Luke 5:16

We will be left spiritually and physically drained if we continue doing things for others without spending time with God, in His Word and in prayer, allowing Him to strengthen us and fill us with His love.

As we commit ourselves to God we can focus on loving others. God wants to fulfill our needs and desires while using us to bless others. I’m amazed how God meets my needs when He prompts me to commit whatever I’m facing over to Him and moves me to meet someone else’s need.

My husband and I were hit once with car trouble four consecutive times in a row. At the time, we’d drop one car off to be fixed and then something would happen to the other and then we’d have to switch them again. By the fourth time my car needed to be fixed, my husband suggested we wait since it was drivable, and we already spent all we had on the other repairs.

As the problem in my car continued, I began to fall into self-pity. Then one day, God humbled me by informing me of a couple who had gone through an extremely rough year, financially, emotionally, and physically. My problems didn’t compare to what they had been through.

I was moved by this couples’ situation and eagerly wanted to reach out and help them. I asked my husband if we could help even though we couldn’t afford it. My husband agreed, so I knew God was moving us to help them and He’d take care of us.

After blessing the couple, I got into my car, turned on the ignition and noticed the problem was gone instantly. I was amazed how God took care of our problem while using us to take care of someone else.

God wants to meet our needs and bless us, but when our minds are on ourselves we miss out on what God has for us and miss out on helping others.

There are many different ways God can use us to help others. When we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit He will show us what people need. Like Jesus, sometimes what God prompts us to do won’t necessarily make us feel good or please others, but it will be what is needed.

I had to do something for someone once that was very difficult. I even prayed for God not to have me do it because I knew this person wouldn’t respond well. Nevertheless, I laid down my will and obeyed God. Even though this person wasn’t happy with me, I eventually saw the changes God brought about in their life. That showed me it was for their benefit.

People will not always approve of us when we live selflessly. But when we lay down our needs for the needs of others, and seek God’s will, lives will be changed, including ours!

No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.

—John 15:13 (AMP)

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Week Seven Love Walk: Selflessness

I made a list once where I filled one side of the paper with everything I was committing over to God: all of my weaknesses, fears, worries, and cares. I then flipped the paper over and only wrote: “Jesus.” I often look back at that list and remember that Jesus is all I need because He takes care of all the rest. I encourage you this week to do the same and commit everything over to Jesus. When you commit yourself to Him, you will have nothing left to do but love others.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

—1 John 3:16

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and providing everything I need. No mountain I face can stand above You. Help me to cast my cares over to You so I can selflessly love others and meet the needs You have ordained for me to meet.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 2 Corinthians 7:8-9; Philippians 2:3-4

Week Seven Reflection:

Did you cast all your cares on Jesus this week?

Did you feel a peace this week when you spent time with God in His Word and in prayer, allowing Him to fill you with His love?

Share one selfless act God’s led you to do in the last seven weeks.

WEEK EIGHT

Love… is not easily angered

~1 Corinthians 13:5

It doesn’t say anywhere in the Bible that we should never feel anger. In fact, Mark 10:14 says that Jesus was indignant when He saw His disciples rebuke those who were bringing Him children to bless.

There are two types of anger: righteous and unrighteous. Righteous anger stands up for what is right. Unrighteous anger fights against what is right.

Righteous anger lasts only a moment because it is full of love and mercy. “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime …” (Psalm 30:5). Whereas, unrighteous anger continues and grows because it is full of sin. “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” (James 1:20, NLT).

If we don’t deal with our anger, it will continue to build up in us until we finally explode. The more we allow it to grow in us the stronger it becomes.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

—Genesis 4:6-7

I used to be a very angry person. My husband even nicknamed me “Angry A.” Praise God I’ve changed, but I still have to be careful because I can easily fall back into it. If I don’t deal with my anger it will eventually regain its stronghold on me.

We deal with our anger by paying attention to what irritates and easily provokes us, and asking God to help with those irritants. For me, I would get easily angered when my plans suddenly changed and didn’t work out the way I wanted them to. So to deal with it, I had to practice patience by keeping my peace whenever my plans got interrupted. The more I practiced and relied on God to help me, the less it became a struggle.

Another area that triggered my anger was the need to have everything perfect, especially my house. A woman told me one time that her husband said he’d rather have a nice wife to come home to instead of a clean house. My husband would agree. I had to let some things go and not allow myself to stress out by trying to keep everything perfect. As I did this, the calmer and less stressed I became.

Another area I found myself being quick to anger was when I was around someone else who was angry. It’s easy to hold our anger when we’re around people who are sweet and kind, but it’s not so easy when they’re not so kind.

In my years of being a server, I frequently came across harsh and rude customers. For many years, I would instinctively respond the same in return, which only fueled their anger and mine, and never ended well. Once I started walking with God, He began convicting me about my anger. The way I dealt with my anger in those situations was to be polite and kind, no matter what, as Proverbs 15:1 explains:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This wasn’t easy to do at first, but the more I did it, the more amazed I was at how God gave me the power to calm my anger and change the situation.

When someone was rude and hard to please, I would smile more and give them the best service, regardless. By the end of the meal, when they realized they couldn’t upset me and I provided them with good service, their attitude changed. Their attitude calmed down because I gave them nothing to fuel it.

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

—Galatians 5:15

My husband used to be the least angry person I knew. But being around “Angry A” for so many years, I started rubbing off on him. For the first half of our sixteen years of marriage we fed off each other’s anger.

When we’d argue, walls would get punched out, things would get broken, sentimental items would get destroyed. My husband even ended up in the hospital once because he cut himself breaking something during one of our fights. If God hadn’t stepped in to help us, our anger would’ve destroyed our marriage.

When we don’t deal with our anger we leave the door wide open to the devil to destroy us, as Ephesians 4:26-27 warns us:

When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him] (AMP).

God gives us a whole day to work out our feelings of anger and to deal with it before we go to bed. He doesn’t want us to wake up with it the next day, because the more we hold on to it, the more it builds up and the stronger it becomes.

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Week Eight Love Walk: Anger

I encourage you to ask God to help you this week deal with daily offenses. Don’t take them with you to bed. Each night give them over to God and He will help you rid yourself of those things that once controlled you.

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

—Colossians 3:7-8

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You that You never have unrighteous anger toward me. Help me deal with every offense so I don’t allow unrighteous anger to build up in me. Fill me with joy and praise so I am not quick to anger. I praise You that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

In Jesus name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Colossians 3:7-8; Philippians 4:13; Psalm 86:15; Ephesians 4:26-27

Week Eight Reflection:

Were you able to deal with your daily offenses and give them to God before bed each night this week?

Share a verse that helped you deal with anger this week.

Think of the times you’ve held onto anger for more than a day. Share how it affected your ability to love others.

WEEK NINE

Love… keeps no record of wrongs

~1 Corinthians 13:5

When someone wrongs us our first reaction is to defend ourselves. We want to fight back. We want to prove we were wronged. We want to make them pay for wronging us. But the Amplified version for 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love:

… takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:38-39).

When we don’t forgive others and we fight back against those who wrong us, we step in front of God and tell Him we can handle the situation on our own. But when we stay behind God, by trusting Him, the person wronging us has to deal with God, not us. If they try fighting against us, they will just be fighting against God.

We stay guarded behind God who protects us and fights our battles for us. God opposes the proud, so the person who hurt us can either humble themselves before God or continue to fight against Him.

For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

—Hebrews 10:30-31

Does this mean we ignore every wrong done to us because God is always fighting for us? Do we allow people to walk over us by never standing up for ourselves?

I was falsely accused by a co-worker once. This person was my manager at the time. He spread lies about me to our boss when he was the one doing wrong. I felt intimidated because he was a manager, so I quietly left my job without saying anything about it. I still to this day regret not standing up and pointing out the truth to my boss.

God does not call us to ignore wrong-doings. As a matter of fact, Jesus instructed us:

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

—Luke 17:3-4

When someone wrongs us we need to rebuke them. But we need to be careful how we do it. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

When someone wrongs me, God has taught me to wait until my emotions settle down before I do anything. Sharing the incident with everyone does not settle my emotions. Running it over in my head does not settle my emotions. Throwing a pity party does not settle my emotions.

When I’ve been wronged, I settle my emotions by giving the offense and offender over to God, and searching for the blessings that I believe God hides for us in every offense, hurt, and trial we experience. As I focus on the good, my attitude begins to change. I then become excited anticipating how God is going to work it out.

When my emotions are settled I pray for God to speak through me as I confront the person. I may not always know what to say, but when I give God control He gives me the right words, even if it’s not apparent right away.

I may think I messed up in my confrontation by saying the wrong thing, but I soon find out God’s power was in my words and it was effective. After I confront the offender, I need to forgive them and leave it in God’s hands. I don’t need to dwell on it or bring it up again.

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

—Proverbs 17:9 (NLT)

If the offender doesn't accept my rebuke, and continues to wrong me, I need to do what Mark 6:11 says, “But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate” (NLT).

I had to part ways from a family member once. I stood firm on something that I closed my eyes to for many years. God gave me boldness to stand firm against their wrong-doing by not allowing it around my family. They didn’t agree so I had to shake it off and give them over to the Lord. I still love this person and I forgive them, but I don’t have to accept their wrong by allowing them to hurt my family.

If we never stand up and call anyone out on their wrong-doing, they will continue thinking they can get away with it. We don’t forgive others by covering our eyes, we forgive them by telling them the truth in love and praying it opens their eyes to bring repentance.

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Week Nine Love Walk: Keep No Record Of Wrongs

I encourage you this week not to ignore the wrongs done to you. You don’t have to go around rebuking everyone for every little thing they do wrong. But you do need to stand firm and not allow people to walk over you. Follow God’s leading next time you are wronged and look for His blessings in it. God has obligated Himself to work our wrongs out for our good and His glory. Don’t hold on to an offense, give it to God and watch Him work it out for you!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

—Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for protecting me and standing up for me. I don’t need to fight against anyone because I know You will fight my battles for me. I trust that You will work ALL things together for my good. Help me to know when to confront someone and when to walk away.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Romans 8:28; Proverbs 17:9; Proverbs 19:11; Psalm 35:1

Week Nine Reflection:

Have you had a situation recently where you stood back and let God fight for you?

Do you have a hard time forgiving others or prayerfully confronting those who wrong you?

Remember, God never asks us to do anything He hasn’t equipped us to do. Confess 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, reminding yourself you can walk in love through Christ who gives you strength:

Through Christ, I am patient. I am kind. I do not envy. I do not boast. I am not proud. I am not rude. I am not self-seeking. I am not easily angered. I keep no record of wrongs. I do not delight in evil. I rejoice in truth. I always protect. I always trust. I always hope. I always persevere. I will not fail to walk in love!

WEEK TEN

Love… does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth

~1 Corinthians 13:6

Last summer, I went to one of the saddest funerals I’ve ever been to. He was my cousin. We were the same age. We grew up together. He even lived with us for a period of time growing up.

As we got older, I only saw him a couple of times. Once was shortly after I had to deny him from coming to my home because I couldn’t trust him anymore. Sadly, his funeral was the first day I didn’t worry about being near him.

The path he had chosen in life was filled with deceit. The sad part was that his funeral was no different. It was a showcase for the deception that took his life.

At funerals, there are normally pictures displayed that showcase the good to remember in someone’s life. That wasn’t the case at this funeral. The pictures showcased the lifestyle he lived as if it were something to be glorified and praised.

At funerals, the one who leads the prayer service normally shares the good in the life of the deceased. That appeared to be the case at this funeral. I felt sorry for the minister who shared only what he was told, which would be fitting for any funeral. The minister didn’t know that the good he shared was only evil twisted to make it sound good.

Hiding my cousin’s lifestyle with lies such as, “He would never take no for an answer,” and “He would do anything to feed his children,” when the truth was he would steal from anyone he could to feed his habit.

Friends who shared his lifestyle let out chuckles and praises throughout the service, which made those of us who didn’t support his lifestyle cringe. My heart deeply ached at the glorified deception that took place at that funeral. What hurt most was knowing that what his family and friends perceived and glorified as truth was a lie.

My family and I left the funeral that day feeling like the devil had won. I regretted not reaching out to my cousin more. I regretted not standing up and confronting his family and friends with the Truth. I regretted not telling them about the devil who was deceiving them. I regretted not warning them that they’d wind up the same if they didn’t change their ways. I felt like evil triumphed and I sat there and did nothing while the devil rejoiced.

Though my family and I felt defeated that day, it didn’t take long for God to remind us that the enemy never prevails. God had bigger plans.

About a month later, God began exposing the lies. My cousin’s mother and step-father received Christ and stood up to his friends and admitted his lifestyle was wrong. God shined His light of Truth on a family that had been living in darkness for many generations.

The devil did not prevail even though it appeared he had for that moment. Christ prevailed and Truth won!

Love … does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

—1 Corinthians 13:6 (NLT)

Truth always triumphs. Jesus has already given us victory over everything. Even though evil seems to be prevailing all over the world, we will triumph!

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

—2 Corinthians 2:14

If you are discouraged by all the sin in this world, rejoice in the Lord that Truth will prevail. We’ve already won! Praise God for giving us victory in Jesus!

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

—1 John 4:4 (AMP)

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Week Ten Love Walk: Rejoice With The Truth

If you have a loved one who doesn’t know Christ, I want to encourage you not to give up on them. Pray this week for an opportunity to share the Truth in love and pray for God to soften their heart to receive it. I deeply regret not sharing the gospel with my cousin. But I did not delay in sharing it with his mother and step-father. God led me to share with them the Truth of His love as well as the plans the enemy has for all of God’s creation. Their eyes were opened to see the Truth and they received Christ. Praise God! Ask God to do the same and shine His light of Truth into your loved ones’ hearts.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

—2 Corinthians 4:6

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for sending Jesus to save me from the devil’s destructive influence. Open the eyes of my loved ones so they will see Your truth and be set free. Give me opportunities to share the truth about Jesus. Put Your words in my heart and mouth so I may be ready at all times to give an answer to others for the hope that is in me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

2 Corinthians 4:6; Psalm 37:7; Jude 1:22-23; Proverbs 2:12-15

Week Ten Reflection:

Did you have an opportunity this week to share the truth of Jesus with someone?

List your loved ones who don’t know Christ. Refer back to the list and pray often for God to open their eyes and hearts to see and accept the truth.

Share your testimony. How did you learn the truth about Christ?

WEEK ELEVEN

Love… always protects

~1 Corinthians 13:7

The original Greek word for protect in 1 Corinthians 13:7 is pronounced stegō. It means: 1) to protect or keep by covering, to preserve; 2) to cover over with silence; 3) to keep secret; 4) to hide, conceal the errors and faults of others.

To protect someone means to protect all that concerns them. This includes protecting their reputation. I learned what it means to protect someone’s reputation by seeing how my husband protects mine.

My husband continually builds me up to others. Sometimes I think he makes me sound better than I am. I’ve even seen him make himself look bad in order to protect my reputation. He goes out of his way to make me look good. He does it because he loves me.

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

—Romans 12:10 (NLT)

If we want to sincerely love others we have to protect their reputations. We don’t protect people’s reputations when we gossip. Proverbs shares many verses on gossip and the reasons why we need to avoid it.

Proverbs 18:8 shares the most important reason. Solomon must have thought so too because he repeated it again in Proverbs 26:22.

The NLT version for these verses read: “Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.”

Gossip contaminates our hearts. When we put others down we take ourselves down, too. Gossiping may seem harmless and feel innocent at the time, but it gradually hardens our hearts toward others. It is impossible to love others when our hearts are hardened.

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

—2 Timothy 2:16

Proverbs 16:28 shares another reason why we need to avoid gossip:

A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

I wonder how many friendships have been destroyed over gossip. I wonder how many families have been divided over gossip. Gossip spreads like wildfire and doesn’t go out until someone puts it out. The more it spreads, the more people it deceives.

Years ago I had someone spread gossip about me. It made its rounds through many people. By the time it came around to me it was almost comical. The story was twisted so far from the truth that you knew each person had to have added something new as they shared it with the next. What hurt most was that I had done nothing wrong in the first place. The one who started it didn’t agree with something I was doing, so they took it and twisted it to make me sound bad.

Proverbs 26:20 says, “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” Every one who shared the gossip threw their wood into that fire to keep it going. All it would’ve taken was one person to stand up and say, “I’m not going to accept that.” The fire would’ve ended there and never spread to me.

We may not be the ones who spread gossip, but how many times do we sit in the middle of gossip and just listen? To protect someone’s reputation means that we’ll have to stand up in others’ defense when they’re being talked about.

I remember calling my mom once to talk about someone who wronged me. I expected her to listen to my complaints, but instead she started saying positive things about this person. At first I got irritated. But after hearing the things she said about that person my heart started softening.

God used that conviction to help me turn from gossip so He could pour His love into my heart for that person. That moment I saw the reason why God wants us to protect people’s reputations—it transforms our hearts.

Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.

—Leviticus 19:16

People’s lives can be dramatically affected by gossip. We are to build people up, not tear them down. When we build others up and protect their reputations, God will protect ours.

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Week Eleven Love Walk: Protect

I encourage you to pray this week for God to help you protect others. And pray for courage to stand up and defend those who are being slandered. As you build others up, God will build you up.

… but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature].

—1 Corinthians 8:1 (AMP)

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for protecting all that concerns me. Help me to do the same to others. Show me when I am speaking unjustly. And give me wisdom and courage to stand up and protect those who are being slandered.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

1 Corinthians 8:1; Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 20:19

Week Eleven Reflection:

Did you have an opportunity to protect someone’s reputation this week?

Have you ever had someone spread gossip about you? If so, share how it affected you.

Have you ever added to gossip to help it spread? If so, share how it affected your ability to love the one being slandered.

WEEK TWELVE

Love… always trusts

~1 Corinthians 13:7

Trust used to be one of my greatest struggles. I had been hurt in the past by those I trusted. As a result, I became leery of others. This made me standoffish and often unapproachable.

I didn’t trust anyone. I didn’t even trust those who were sincere. I always thought they were going to someday let me down. I was constantly watching others, expecting them to hurt me. This made people hurt me more because I was looking at everyone through a magnifying glass, and every little offense crushed me.

But was I wrong not putting my trust in others? Micah 7:5-7 tells us:

Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

We are not supposed to put our trust in anyone except God. I was wrong to not put my complete trust in God. I was wrong looking at others to make me happy instead of God. I was wrong to expect people to treat me perfectly and then get upset when they wouldn’t.

When we put our expectations on others we will be disappointed. We can’t trust that we won’t let ourselves down, so why would we expect others not to let us down? God wants all our trust because He will never disappoint us. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is unchangeable.

When all our trust is in Him, it frees us from putting expectations on others. When we look solely to God, we can overlook the faults of others. When we trust God, we can believe the best in others and give the rest to Him. The Amplified version for this week’s verse in 1 Corinthians 13:7 says that love is:

… ever ready to believe the best of every person.

I was dealing with someone once whom I felt I couldn’t trust. As I was telling God about my mistrust, I felt Him say, “Do you trust me?” I prayed and asked God to help me trust Him and started believing for the best. This person did end up wronging me, but God rescued me and used the experience to teach me.

I learned God gives us warnings, as I did feel something was not right about them from the start. I ignored the warning and pursued getting involved with this person. The moment they wronged me God opened the door and told me to leave, as He was there to rescue me.

When we put all our trust in God, even if others wrong us, God will work it out for our benefit. We don’t have to worry about people hurting us. We can always learn something through our hurts.

My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.

—Psalm 119:71 (NLT)

When our trust is in God, He will show us who we need to avoid and who we don’t. God sees beyond what we see because He looks at people’s hearts.

… The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

—1 Samuel 16:7

Our hearts can deceive us. We might run from those who have a good heart but may not say or do everything right. Or we may be deceived into trusting those who appear good but are out to hurt us.

When I started dating my husband, another man was also asking me out. My mother favored the other man over my husband. She thought my husband looked angry and the other man looked kind.

Based on outward appearance she thought the other man was good for me and my husband was not. But it was just the opposite. My husband was respectful and the other man was not. My mother’s initial judgment was wrong because she judged them by their outward appearances.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

—Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

We can miss out on developing great relationships when we rely on our own judgment. But when all our trust is in God, He will always show us what’s best for us.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

—Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

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Week Twelve Love Walk: Trust

I encourage you this week to put your trust in God, not in others. Don’t be afraid of what people can do to you. You have Jesus on your side. He is so much greater!

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

—Psalm 56:4

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for looking at my heart. Help me to see others the way You see them. Help me to see people’s hearts and not judge them by outward appearances. Help me not to be afraid to love them. I put my trust solely in You. I trust that even when others wrong me, You will work it out for my benefit.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Psalm 56:4; Isaiah 12:2; John 14:1; Psalm 20:7; Psalm 31:14

Week Twelve Reflection:

Do you struggle with trusting others? Are you fearful of being hurt?

Share a time when your judgment was wrong about someone. How did it affect you or the person you wrongly judged?

Share how this week’s message or Scriptures helped you in your love walk.

WEEK THIRTEEN

Love… always hopes

~1 Corinthians 13:7

What are you placing your hope in? Are you placing it in your job? Your bank account? Your spouse? Your children? Your appearance? Your material possessions?

To put our hope in something means we need it to make us happy. If our hope is in our jobs and we lose them, we lose our hope. If our hope is in our spouses and they leave us, our hope leaves with them. If our hope is in our beauty and it fades, our hope fades with it.

Our hope needs to be in God because He is the only one who can permanently fulfill us.

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

—Romans 5:5

God’s love never disappoints. But have you ever felt disappointed in God? I have. In the past, I would get disappointed if I trusted God to answer a prayer and He didn’t. I would get disappointed if I obeyed Him and didn’t see the right results. I would get disappointed if I was hit with a trial and He didn’t rescue me.

I thought my hope was in God, but I was often disappointed in Him. I soon realized I wasn’t placing my hope in God. I was placing it in my own expectations of Him.

When God called me to write my first book, I expected to write it and publish it right away. I was often disappointed when I was rejected by publishers and agents in the beginning. I thought if God told me to write a book He would open all the doors. It took awhile to see He was opening the doors; they just weren’t the ones I was knocking at. I wanted Him to do it my way. I didn’t like some of the doors He wanted me to go through. They often led to trials, lessons, and hard work.

Now looking back, those trials are what I needed to prepare me for what was ahead. Had all my hope been in God’s plan for me, I could have enjoyed those years of writing instead of being disappointed.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

—Romans 12:12

Thinking positive, praising God, and communing with Him keeps our hopes up. It helps us stay joyful while waiting on God to fulfill our desires.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

—Proverbs 13:12

I’ve experienced this verse many times in my life. Once was when I had to go back to work a few years after having my first child. I was devastated to go back and even tried to avoid it. I frequently asked God why He wasn’t providing for me to stay home.

As the years went by, and I had more children, I continued praying for God to help me afford to quit. I tried everything I could to stay happy and be a good employee while waiting on God to answer my request. But as time went on, I started losing hope and fell into depression. Losing hope made my heart sick.

As I clung to God, He brought me out of depression and opened the door for me to stay home. As I looked back I could see His provision was there all along. Through those years, God was working with us on our finances so we could afford one income.

God was also working in me during that time. He was teaching me to be faithful even when it hurts. He was teaching me to trust Him even when I wasn’t seeing results. He was teaching me to be happy even when there wasn’t anything going on to rejoice in.

During those years I learned valuable lessons I wouldn’t trade now for anything. More importantly, I learned my prayers were answered the moment I requested them. I just didn’t see it until after I received it.

God answers our prayers. We don’t see all the behind the scenes work He does to prepare for those answers. We have to remember His ways are far beyond ours. We only see what is in front of our eyes. God sees above and beyond. He sees the final outcome, which is why He asks us to place our hope in Him. We don’t have anything to be disappointed about when all our hope is in Him.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

—Romans 15:13

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Week Thirteen Love Walk: Hope

I encourage you this week to place your hope in God. Don’t focus on your outward circumstances. Face each trial with joy as you hope in Him. Cling to Him. Praise Him. And remember to be faithful even when you’re not seeing any results.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

—Romans 8:24

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for giving me so much to be hopeful for. I know I will never be disappointed when I am trusting You. Help me remain faithful and continue doing Your will when the devil comes against me. Thank You that through Jesus I am an overcomer. I joyfully put my hope in You, my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

Romans 8:24; Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 18:2; Romans 15:13

Week Thirteen Reflection:

Share how God revealed Himself to you this week as you placed your hope in Him.

Do you have a prayer you are waiting to see answered?

Don’t give up hope on your prayer. God knew what you needed before you even asked! Write a prayer praising Him that He has heard and answered your prayer according to His Word.

WEEK FOURTEEN

Love… always perseveres

~1 Corinthians 13:7

One of the first verses I ever memorized was Hebrews 10:35-39:

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Through the years, God’s used these verses to teach me how to persevere. The first thing He taught me was not to throw away my confidence.

• So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded (Hebrews 10:35).

When I’m following Christ and doing what He’s called me to do, the first thing the devil attacks is my confidence. He’ll point out everything I do wrong. He’ll remind me of my weaknesses, past failures, insecurities, inabilities, and so on. If I start accepting those thoughts, I’ll easily trash my confidence.

Our confidence shouldn’t be in what we can do. It should be in what God can do through us. When our confidence is in God’s ability, we can persevere despite our shortcomings. We can be confident He will equip us to do His will.

• You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised (Hebrews 10:36).

As we keep our confidence in God and persevere in His will, we can look forward to our reward. God doesn’t take back His promises. If God promises us something, He will deliver. Romans 11:29 says, “For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn” (NLT).

We can’t lose God’s calling on our life. We can walk away from it, but it will not be taken away. When we have done the will of God, we can be sure we will receive what He has promised.

• For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay (Hebrews 10:37).

I have a hard time waiting to receive God’s promises. God’s little while and my little while never seem to be the same. For me, a little while is a couple weeks. With God, a little while can be years. God’s timing, however, is always perfect. He is never late delivering His promises.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

—2 Peter 3:9

I was reading a chapter in Isaiah once, and I felt God speaking to me through every verse. I was ecstatic until I came to the last verse which read, “in its time I will do this swiftly.” I instantly became discouraged. I didn’t want to wait for “in its time.” I wanted it right then.

As I talked about patience in the first chapter, no one likes the waiting process. We want everything now. But the waiting process is the most important part. The waiting process is what prepares us to handle those promises we’re waiting for. Each promise comes with a greater responsibility. If we can’t handle what God is having us do right now, we won’t be able to handle what He has for us later on.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

—Galatians 6:9

We have to be obedient with the little things in order to be obedient with the bigger things. We have to follow through with our commitments and be diligent. We have to do the best we can while waiting on God to bring us to the next level.

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

—1 Timothy 4:15-16

When I am in the waiting process, and it’s taking a while to receive God’s promises, I have to be careful I don’t lose heart and fall into disobedience. It’s hard to keep doing what’s right when we’re not seeing results. Yet we need to be diligent. If we shrink back (lose faith) we won’t receive what He has promised.

• But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved (V38-39).

Faith is the door to God’s promises. To persevere means to hold fast to our faith in Christ. Once we lose faith we will walk away from God’s will and we won’t receive what He has promised.

Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

—Matthew 17:20

There have been times when I’ve wanted to give up, but God wouldn’t let me. I believe because I still had a mustard seed of faith which kept me hanging on to Him.

God has given you a measure of faith to help you persevere (Romans 12:3). Hold on to the faith He’s given you. If you keep pressing forward and holding on to your faith in Him, He will see you across the finish line where His promises are waiting for you!

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Week Fourteen Love Walk: Perseverance

Whatever God is calling you to do right now, I encourage you to be diligent and don’t give up. Keep persevering. Keep walking in love. Keep holding on to God and you will receive what He has promised.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

—James 1:12

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for giving me faith to persevere. I want to do Your will. I want to love others and draw them to You. With Your grace, I can and will accomplish what You have set before me to do. And once I stand the test, I praise You that I will receive what You have promised.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

James 1:12; James 5:10-11; Matthew 24:12-14; Revelation 3:10

Week Fourteen Reflection:

Do you struggle with lack of confidence? Is it hard for you to reach out and share God’s love with others?

Did your memory verse help you persevere through something this week?

What are some promises God’s revealed to you through His Word?

WEEK FIFTEEN

Love… never fails

~1 Corinthians 13:8

God’s love for us never fails. Praise Him for this amazing truth! He never stops loving us no matter how far we’ve turned away from Him.

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

—Lamentations 3:2

I think it’s easy to love God when we see His unfailing love for us. But it’s not as easy to have unfailing love for others, especially those who are against us. For a long time I sincerely loved God, but I didn’t sincerely love those who wronged me. I’d still try to show love toward them because I knew God told me to, but I never felt love for them.

I’d read about Jesus and how He asked God to forgive those who were crucifying Him (Luke 23:34). I’d read about Stephen and how he cried out to God as He was being stoned saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:59-60). I’d read about David, and no matter how many times Saul was after him, he continued to respect and honor him, even after Saul’s death (1 Samuel 18-31; 2 Samuel 1). I couldn’t understand how anyone could find the courage to pray and sincerely love someone who was trying to kill them.

God eventually showed me, but it wasn’t until after I made the choice to love others even when I didn’t feel love for them.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

—1 Peter 1:22

As I obeyed God, He purified my heart and I began to feel love for others.

Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith.

—1 Timothy 1:5 (AMP)

We won’t feel love for others until we choose to be obedient to God and show love toward others. Love can only spring from a pure and obedient heart. Every act of disobedience pushes us further from God and hardens our hearts. Whereas every act of obedience pulls us closer to God who purifies our hearts.

… God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

—1 John 1:5-7

If we need Jesus to purify our hearts, we should love those who also need purifying. A person who is hard-hearted is disobedient to God, so they are blind to what they are doing. When we refuse to love them, we are blind as well.

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

—Romans 2:1-4

When my husband and I built our house, our neighbor was harsh and bitter toward us. She called the police on us for working on a Sunday. She complained about having our driveway on her side, which cost us money to switch our house plans around. Despite her bitterness, my husband and I still respected her and continued to show her love.

As I was raking her leaves one day, another neighbor saw me and asked why I was helping her. He told me to watch out because she’s fierce and she’ll turn her back on me. I laughed to myself and thought, “I’m not expecting anything from her, so it doesn’t matter what she does to me.”

I was there to obey God by showing her unfailing love. The rest was in God’s hands as far as I was concerned. He was the only One who knew her heart. He knew why she was hard to get along with. He would be my vindicator if she had wrong intentions toward me. It wasn’t for me to decide and judge her heart and motives.

Romans 12:17-18 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” God used the love we had for our neighbor to eventually soften her heart. We now have a wonderful relationship with her. She adores our family, and even tells us that she loves us. I also found out she was a believer. She may have just needed to see God’s unfailing love in action to draw her heart back to Him.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

—Romans 12:21

When we love and bless others, God purifies our hearts and melts away our bitterness. Only then can we sincerely feel love for them.

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Week Fifteen Love Walk: Unfailing Love

Don’t wait to feel love for others to show them love. Continue walking in love and watch God soften your heart. I encourage you to never give up studying and practicing love. 1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins” (NASB). With love, everything else will fall into place!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

—1 Corinthians 13:13

Prayer For The Week:

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for Your unfailing love for me. Cleanse my heart. Wash away anything that hinders me from loving You and loving others. Continue to teach me about love. Help me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and love my neighbor as myself.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures To Meditate On (pick one to memorize):

1 Corinthians 13:13; Psalm 119:76-77; Hosea 10:12; John 13:34

Week Fifteen Reflection:

Do you feel more equipped in your love walk than before you started studying love?

Share which week helped you the most in your love walk.

List the characteristics of love that you struggle with most. Use this as reference to continue praying about and meditating on Scripture to help you walk in love.

NOTE FROM AUTHOR

I pray “The LOVE Walk” has been as much of a blessing for you to read and study as it was for me to write. I will never cease being amazed at how God uses us to minister to and encourage others, while ministering to and encouraging us in return.

God has done an amazing work in my life since He rescued me twelve years ago. Because of His unfailing love, I am passionate about sharing His love with others. Every Monday I share the wonderful benefits behind the truths in God’s Word on my blog: SharingTruths.com. I also wrote about God’s loving plan for our marriages and families in my book “You Can Have a Happy Family–Steps to Enjoying Your Marriage and Children.”

I would love to hear how God ministered to and encouraged you through “The LOVE Walk” so I may rejoice with you! You can leave a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Or you can contact me at:

Mail: Amanda Beth

P.O. Box 183796

Shelby Township, MI 48318

Website: AmandaBeth.net

Blog: SharingTruths.com

Email: authoramandabeth@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/author.amandabeth

Twitter: twitter.com/@abdaubs

You Can Have a Happy Family

Steps to Enjoying Your Marriage and Children

YOU can’t perfect your family.

YOUR SPOUSE can’t perfect your family.

But there is hope…GOD CAN!

Join Amanda on her journey to find contentment. She takes you through her personal testimony and reveals the steps God taught her that freed her from insecurity, strife, distrust, resentment, and chaos in her marriage. She shares with you how to enjoy your family while waiting on God to restore, transform, and perfect you, your spouse, and your children.

God only needs ONE willing heart to change a whole family. Let that heart be yours!

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O LORD, endures forever: forsake not the works of your own hands. —Psalm 138:8

*Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO

WEEK THREE

WEEK FOUR

WEEK FIVE

WEEK SIX

WEEK SEVEN

WEEK EIGHT

WEEK NINE

WEEK TEN

WEEK ELEVEN

WEEK TWELVE

WEEK THIRTEEN

WEEK FOURTEEN

WEEK FIFTEEN

NOTE FROM AUTHOR