Day 15 - Teach Me to Love

Read I Thessalonians 4:9-12

“About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you
because you yourselves are taught by God to love one
another.” I Thessalonians 4:9 (HCSB)

Most problems in any church can be overcome by love. Love causes
dissensions to be settled. Love prompts a church to serve the poor. Love
moves us to do missions and evangelism. Love even makes us want to
give more financially, work with children, paint the nursery walls, or build
a new building for the youth.

Love is the greatest motivator to church action
of all types. But what if we just don’t have that much love?

1 Thessalonians 4:9 gives hope to those of us who come up a little short
in the love department. It reveals that God can teach us to love. Love is
not so much an emotion to be experienced but an action to be taken. The
greatest act of love in history was Christ on the cross.

The good news for us is that the one who called Jesus to the cross can teach us to love
people in our own congregation. Love really does change everything and
is a real key to church revitalization.

Would you ask God today to increase your love for a person, or group of
people, in your church for which you do not feel much love?

Prayer - Consider praying a prayer like this:
Dear God, I do not feel much love for _____________ (you know which
name to put in the blank).

I’m asking, and counting on,
you to teach me to love ______________ the way you
love him or her.

Thank you for hearing my prayer prayed
in Jesus’ name. Amen.