TSP DAILY DEVOTIONAL
WITHOUT FEAR
8th February 2020
Dr. Phil Ransom-Bello
KEY SCRIPTURE/MEMORY VERSE: 1 John 4:18 NKJV)
_There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
_
If I asked you if there were any situations as you went about your business yesterday, that pushed you to reduce your love standard and how you responded to the offense, what would be your answer?
You see, we often forget what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 18.
I think that what makes a good player in a game is his/her ability to anticipate the moves of the other player and respond accordingly.
If you knew that offense would surely come, perhaps as often as every 2 minutes in the day, you would be so secure in yourself that there won’t be a need to take offense but your response would be differemt. It’s like the son of Dangote stooping to fight in the market because someone offended him.
What?
Every believer ought to realize that walking in love and choosing to go after the one who has offended you will not reduce you. Instead, it will only affirm the fact that you are secure and better than what you would have been if you chose not to walk in love.
Any believer who is too big to apologize or seek reconciliation is flirting with what is not the Spirit of Christ, but rather what is the spirit of Satan. Did you know that pride is older than sin and is in fact the root where sin originated?
In Ezekiel 28, Lucifer took pride in the incredible beauty, power and gifts God gave to him and began to contend with God’s supremacy.
Listen, the only thing that will stop you from showing love is pride.
The only thing that will stop you from loving when someone offends or steps on your toe is pride.
Choose the Spirit of Love. Let it be the root where you live from.
It is also important to strike the difference between responding in love because you want to win your brother back and responding in love because you want your brother to feel bad.
Same action. Different spirits.
Someone offends you and then you say to yourself;
“I will show him kindness so that he will know what he has done to me. Let me heap coals of fire on him by my kindness”.
No. You must respond with the spirit of meekness, of humility.
Pattern your love response after the character of the goodness that led us to repentance. Do you know how long it took you to respond to God’s love and goodness, yet He isn’t constantly reminding us of our past offense?
The truth is, when you hold back and don’t want to love, it’s because you are scared. It’s a sign that you feel insecure and would rather protect your ego.
But that’s fear and there’s no fear in the love we have received.
Our text today, tells us that “Perfect love casts out all fears.”
All fears not some.
And 2 Timothy 1:7 affirms the same thought.
Love not fear.
The power of God’s love is a force that will drive you to becoming like Christ. If you think about it, Satan can actually perform miracles, signs and wonders but he cannot love. It’s impossible.
So it’s not really in your working of miracles.
(1 Corinthians 13:2)
If you want to become more like Christ, Love.
REFLECTION
What fears do you allow to keep me from loving like Christ? Address them now.
DECLARATION
-I am loved by God.
-I am a love being. The nature of the Father’s love in its entirety dwells in me.
-No offense will reduce my love standard.
-I am secure in God’s love.
-I am confident in the love of God I have received and I do not shy away from expressing it whether or not people are deserving.
-There is no fear here. My mind is sound and powered by the love of God.
-Today, testimonies abound for me because the Gospel works.
-I am blessed!
HEARING BY THE WORD
(Recommended Listening)
Listen to LOVE ~ The Series 1 >> Dr. Phil by The StandPoint Church on #SoundCloud
