Ephesians 3:19-20 New International Version (NIV)
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
1 Corinthians 13:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Forward Thinkers, “The Love Connection” was a match making TV show where one person would ask 3 individuals of the opposite sex a series of questions; trying to find their perfect match. Millions of songs have been produced and sung under the tag “Love Songs”. Unfortunately, we throw the word love around very loosely; not realizing the word “love” is one of the most powerful words in the human language.
Forward Thinkers, today my desire is to educate, empower, and encourage you with biblical truths on a real love connection.
First, let’s look back at Eph. 3:19—20. God can do more than we can think, ask, or imagine and when I reflect on that, I’m encouraged; because that gives me great confidence and faith in my ability to prosper in every aspect of my life, including my marriage. But, there is an important key we have missed for years causing us to load our gun with blanks instead of real ammo. God can do these things according to his power that is at work within us. Remember Jesus would often tell someone they could or would be healed according to their faith. Well here God is saying, “I can bless you beyond measure according to the power that is at work within us”. Question… what is this power that is at work? Look at verse 19. The power is love. Not the kind of weak love we have been operating with but the love of God. God’s love is unselfish andgiving. God’s love is unconditional. God loved us so much, he gave us his son Jesus and he loved us so much, he did it while we were still sinners, meaning his love was not based on what we did or how we made him feel.
Forward Thinkers, before we can have a true love connection with another person, we must first enter into a love covenant with God.
- One flesh – but which one? I need God to get the junk out of me before I can handle the sacrifices needed to become one flesh; new creature-born again
- Grace- I have to appreciate the fact God loves me so much, he showed me grace when I didn’t desire it. A sinner, a wretch I was, yet God loved me enough to give me grace in spite of me.
- God is Love and if I’m going to have a successful relationship, I must use God as the standard.
Now this will be hard for some to accept but, I must also love myself before I can enter into a love connection with someone else. Can you give away or share something you don’t have? A major negative source in relationships is when people go into a relationship broken and put too high of expectations of another person to heal them. The devil will poison you into loving yourself the wrong way and you become self-centered and selfish. Loving self means, you are whole and complete with who you are with God and the way God created you; you love the way I fit in my own skin; embracing the image of God you were created to be.
Forward Thinkers, when you don’t love yourself correctly, you will operate with insecurities, fear, and doubt and those 3 areas will doom any relationship you enter into because you will drain the relationship of all its potential energy.
Both a cheater and a fearful person always accusing doubter rob the relationship of the trust factor.
Forward Thinkers, I still have not gotten to the love connection, because there is still one more area we must cover first. You must learn how to love them first before you can experience the ultimate love connection. The “them” I’m referring to is not your boo but difficult, hard to get along with, people.
I know you were looking at me like, “Whatever Pastor”, but think about this. There are no perfect people and there are no perfect relationships. Every relationship will be tested and go through storms. If you have not discovered how to love difficult people, it will affect how you handle difficult seasons in your marriage. When you encounter hard to deal with people with joy, when you can forgive fools and keep it moving, when you can continue to go forward in the midst of dysfunctional people, then you are ready to enter into a love connection.
Forward Thinkers, not loving them will hinder your prayer life and in today’s culture, a relationship without the power of prayer is destined to fail.
Love never fails. If God says love never fails and we are failing, maybe we are not operating under love.
What is love according to God’s Word?
1 Corinthians 13 New International Version (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. (Without love I have nothing)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
In conclusion, the next time you have an argument or disagreement don’t holler, “I’m done”, “I want to break up”, or “I want a divorce”. Recharge and Reset and remember, love never fails; reclaim the joy of your relationship and rejoice because what God (Who is Love) brought together, nothing can take apart.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church now located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net