CATCHING THE SPIRIT OF LOVE

Galatians 5:19-23

Today, there are so many books that had been written by different gurus unveiling how people can be winners in this life. If you take the time to read some of these books, you will quickly understand that one of the major factors in becoming a winner lies in one's ability to relate and connect with other people. There's no way anyone will be successful in his or her home, church, career, or business without the ability to build relationships.

Dr. Les Parrott III, referring to the importance of relationships in terms of career, said:

When employees were asked, "What upsets you most about your work?" their number one complaint was about fellow workers. It turns out that job satisfaction depends more on our relationships than our salaries. Relationships make the difference between the job we love and the job we loathe.

How's our ability in building relationships? Do we have the tendency to run away from relationships because we find them difficult to maintain? If you have always attracted enemies more than friends, something is really wrong with your life and you have to seek God's help in this area of your life.

This morning, I would like to begin a new series entitled, "Catching the Winning Attitudes." This messages will be based on the study of the fruit of Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

As believers of Jesus Christ, we need to be convinced that God wants us to be winners in this life. Thus, He has given us the Holy Spirit to reside in us, so He can produce the necessary qualities that would make us winners. However, we need to be conscious of what He wants to produce in us, and do our best to cooperate with Him. If we continue to suppress the Holy Spirit in our lives, what will come out of us are sinful attitudes and behaviors as mentioned from verse 19 until verse 21. These sinful behaviors will surely bring defeat and destruction to us.

So, decide to live according to the power of the Holy Spirit and learn to live His fruit in your life. Let me quickly explain that I intentionally used the word "Catch" because in Greek another translation for Spirit is wind. Now, just like in sailing, your vessel won't move if you don't catch the wind. In life, we need to catch the power of the Spirit, if we have to move forward. Let me begin with the first attitude, which is love.

I    THE SEARCH FOR LOVE:

Everybody is looking for love. No wonder social psychologist Abraham Maslow places a need for "love and belongingness" as a basic need of the human personality; a need, which must be met if a person, is to grow toward becoming his potential self.

Unfortunately, in man's search for love, it is greatly possible that he or she doesn't really know what true love is. In our society, love is often regarded as a matter of feeling. Once this feeling is gone, people say, they have fallen out of love.

However, when we go to the Scriptures, it is very clear that it is a matter of choice. Take for example the greatest commandment that came from Jesus himself:

Yes, we can choose whom to love. Jesus wants all of us to love Him first and foremost, and then we have to love other people. Although feelings are important, true love can exist regardless of feelings.

Consider the Eastern cultures that practice pre-arranged marriages. In many cases the bride would never see the groom until the day of the wedding.

Dr. James Merritt, in his book, How to be a Winner and Influence Anybody, shared about a young woman in India who was about to be married to a young man she had never met. One day, her husband to be decided to write her a letter so they can be acquainted with each other. But she returned the letter unopened, saying she believed love should be developed after marriage and not before. These were her words:

When we are born, we cannot choose our mother and father or brothers and sisters. Yet we learn to live with them and to love them. So it is with our husband or wife."

What is amazing is that in places that practice this philosophy, divorce is almost nonexistent. Of course, I do not suggest that we practice arranged marriages. But, I do insist that love is more than feelings.

II   THE SOURCE OF TRUE LOVE:

Another important truth about true love is the fact that whether it is love toward God or love toward other people, it has its source in God:

Do you believe that it is possible to love someone you don't like? There's really no problem in loving the people who are lovely and kind, but the real struggle comes when we are commanded to love those we don't like. God knows us so much that His message for us is to really understand the love we have experienced from Him. Because it is our experienced of God's love that can motivate us to love others.

Have you ever considered the kind of love you have experienced with God? God has loved you and has valued you regardless of who you are, and what you have done, because He knew what you could become in Jesus Christ.

So, in loving others, the secret is that all of us need to see and value others the way God sees and values them for what they can become in Christ.

III  THE SHOW OF TRUE LOVE:

I know how important it is to personally verbalize our love to others. In fact, most marriage counselors would advise that couples should say the words, "I love you," to each other at least once a day.

But, the Bible strongly demands that more than saying the words; believers must demonstrate their love for each other:

If we want to build a loving relationship with the people around us, we need to be conscious of opportunities to demonstrate our love to them. Jesus has provided us with some practical words in doing this:

Speaking about loving the people we don't like (enemies), Jesus suggested that we should concentrate on doing some positive deeds to them - Do good, bless, and pray. Literally, Jesus wants us to look for opportunities to show God's love to them.

I know this is easily said than done, but God wants to help us practice this. This is the very reason why He has given us the Holy Spirit. When God brings difficult people in our lives that we are finding hard to love, seek His help and begin looking for opportunities to show love in different ways.

Whether you like it or not, you will always be surrounded by people. You can make your life miserable by loving only those you like, or you can make your life enjoyable and blessed by deciding to love others even those who are difficult to love. Remember, lovers are winners!