TSP DAILY DEVOTIONAL
PROFIT OR LOSS?
12th February 2020
Dr. Phil Ransom-Bello
KEY SCRIPTURE/MEMORY VERSE:1 Corinthians 13:3 (NKJV)
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
If the son of Dangote or a sitting president walked into a room, he would be identified because he carries an identity. And in most cases, there’s even a physical resemblance so everyone just knows.
As a believer, the first thing that characterizes or identifies you is love(1 John 4:7,8). Your love is a pointer to who you are born of.
It’s not the activities and service in church, good as they are, that identifies you. Like we established yesterday, it’s possible to serve without love in the heart. (1 Corinthians 13:1,2)
Looking at our text today, can I ask you a question- Who does love profit?
The giver or the recipient?
It’s the giver.
Look, if you are not a loving person, you are losing.
Your account statement in the business of love only reads profit when you love.
It’s not love when you are parading yourself or wanting to be noticed. No, the character of love is not proud or self-centred.(1 Corinthians 13:4)
Have you come across believers who are proud in spirit, looks, attitude, in everything and just not approachable?
That’s not love.
Think about this- naturally, children almost don’t know the difference between people’s personalities but they can sense spirits. If you are a loving person, a child will naturally be drawn to you because the child can perceive it. Children know not to go to a wicked man or woman. They know to run away from them.
And we see this in scriptures too. In Matthew 19:13, 14, the children ran to Jesus. Why? Was it that they had a revelation that He was the son of God?
No. There was something about Jesus that was so open and receptive to people. And it’s the Spirit of love.
There are believers who take pride in the fact that they are unapproachable.
It’s like a badge of honour for them- “Oh you can’t just walk up to me and talk to me anyhow.”
That’s not love. You are losing.
You need to yield to and humble yourself to the spirit of love.
I hope you know it was love that drove Jesus to the cross?
He humbled Himself and made Himself of no reputation.(Philippians 2:7)
This is God. How much more us?
Everything you think you ought to be proud of is incomparable to Christ. Philippians 3:7,8 says we count it as dung, as waste matter.
Have you come across believers who are highly placed in society/governance serving in the Sanitation department of church, ccleaning the toilet or auditorium? Once it’s time for service, they shut down all the things that should not naturally place them on a pedestal or puff them up and come to serve.
They have an understanding that their position of influence shouldn’t make them rude or puffed up.
Hear me, if you didn’t grow up in family backgrounds that emphasized discipline about your behaviour/conduct, please open yourself up to the Spirit of love and be taught. There are certain things I didn’t directly learn from my father but that I learnt by yielding to the Spirit. Scripture says that our children will be taught of the Lord.(Isaiah 54:13). So we can be taught.
That you were raised in a dysfunctional home is not an excuse for you to remain the same way and pass the same model to your children.
Be open to the training of the spirit of the gospel.
REFLECTION
What does my account statement show? Profit or Loss?
DECLARATION
-I am born of God therefore I am born of love.
-I have received the nature and capacity to love.
-I am yielded to the Spirit of love and submitted to it’s teachings.
-In the business of love, I am not losing. I make profit only.
-I am open, receptive and easily approachable.
-Today, testimonies abound for me because the Gospel works.
-I am blessed!
HEARING BY THE WORD
(Recommended Listening)
Listen to LOVE ~ The Series 2 >> Dr. Phil by The StandPoint Church on #SoundCloud
