Staying in God’s Love
How to remain in God’s love may be challenging but it’s actually a requirement of Christians. God’s love is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. This is also part of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Staying in the love of God is key, and as God is the foundation we have to keep love as the foundation because God is Love. When first practicing to stay in the love of God may be difficult at first, but you can do it if you choose.
Satan will try and plant things in your head to get you to think or try to operate the opposite of God’s love. When you step out of the love of God things just get worse, maybe some things were said and done that shouldn’t have been said, and that is because you stepped out of the love of God. There are so many scriptures in the bible that tells us to love our enemies.
- Matthew 5:44 (NLT) ” But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
- Luke 6:27 (NLT) ” But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
- Luke 6:35 (NLT) ” Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.
Once we know how to do this then it will become easier to love everyone else. It’s so easy to love the people that you love. But for some reason when it comes to our enemies our flesh tends to get in the way. We may be quick to withdraw from them, talk about them, and just not want to be around them. Imagine you showing the love of God to them even if they did something wrong, that love can cause them to come back and apologize to you or may cause them to want to better and turn their life around. Through their mess and attitude, God still loves them.
As Christians, we are God’s vessels. We have to continue to show our love to others even if they are considered our enemies. Stop thinking of them as a foe and start loving them with Agape love as a family in Christ. When we don’t stay in the love of God, it can push others away from God and not toward him.
How to Stay in God’s Love
We can stay in the love of God by resisting Satan and his snares. Don’t allow him to bring us out of God’s love. And by doing that you have to be in love with God and make sure our oil is full. This comes from spending quality time with him, by reading the word, praying, and being obedient to his commands.
- One way that you can practice staying in love with God is by spending time with him in word and prayer. Yielding and submitting to him, by allowing him to guide me but that requires me to listen. Which then leads to being obedient.
- Another way you can practice staying in love with God is by showing love to others, even when they wrong me. It may seem as soon as you begin practicing the fruit of the spirit and practice loving your enemies, don’t be startled if you begin to be tested. Continue practicing to responding in love, even if it is difficult. But it seems to be getting easier with each test. Think about if God will be okay with my response or if I should have responded differently. A lot of self-assessing and being honest with myself about what needs work.
- The Holy Spirit will lead us on how to love like Jesus. And as Christians, we know that we should love others the way God loves us. This is one of the first teachings of a Christian. The Holy Spirit will convict you on how to love or when you know you should have reacted in love, but sometimes people don’t always yield to that conviction. Be obedient to what the Holy Spirit says.
We are commanded to love, and there is no room for excuses or other options because we should always try to operate in Agape love. Sometimes people may make excuses when our flesh tries to do the opposite of love. Such as unforgiveness, holding grudges, and treating others wrong because they dislike them. Instead, they may yield to their flesh instead and become prideful. They choose to not to react in love, which results in having a hardened heart. When you choose not to operate in Love, that is not of God because God is love. This is why God commanded us to love. He is Love, and others can see Him through us when we show our love toward others.
We also must be willing to be obedient to God and listen. When we listen, he will lead and guide us on how to love.