I've spent the last several weeks meditating on the fourth chapter of 1st John. I'm captivated by the foundation of love and how critical it is for us to develop it over the course of our lifetime. Love serves as the ultimate binding agent that holds our lives in tact. The power of love serves as the framework that should solidify our relationship with God who is our Heavenly Father, our relationship with our spouses, and our relationships with family members, but there is a major deficiency of this love being displayed in our world today. It can be asserted that all things of significant value require time to develop; how can one expect to grow in their capacity to love without enduring any spiritual conditioning?
Consider your latest efforts to get into top physical shape. In order to gain muscular strength, we must increase the frequency and intensity of our workouts, and immediately eliminate toxic substances such as processed sugars that can impede our growth. The body, like an automobile, is an intricate system that runs on the proper fueling system. Any form of excess sugar can corrode the lining of our vital digestive organs, causing critical damage much like a hostile act of pouring sugar down the fuel tank of an automobile. The mantle of fear is the poison that gradually destroys the framework walk with God and others.
Satan has unleashed a blanket of condemnation that has paralyzed many in this season. The wave of condemnation serves as a distorted frequency that constantly reminds you that you have failed too many times in order to receive the love and mercy of God. When we choose to tune into the channel of condemnation, we become stagnate in our faith building process. The ultimate formula for spiritual decline is a lack of fellowship with Jesus Christ. It's amazing how one can readily spend over ten hours scrolling through television and social media devices on a daily basis, yet struggle to scrape together ten minutes of devotion time with the Lord. Many have been overexposed to the toxic spirit of the world and have a complete inability to express their adoration to God, and expand their love to others. If we want to restore our foundation of faith, it is time to escape from the couch of dormancy and get back into spiritual shape.
The eighteenth verse of 1st John chapter four reminds us that perfect love casts out fear. We need this perfected love to combat the curse of rejection, despair, and bitterness that has plagued the Body of Christ for many seasons. A perfected love doesn't mean that there won't be mistakes along the way. In spite of the countless hours of practice, even the most skilled athlete or musician is subject to the occasional poor performance. A peak performer has the humility to recognize their deficiencies, learn from their recent experience, and seek guidance on how to perfect their craft. We need the guidance of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to help us expand our ability to spread compassion in this world. Our Heavenly Father understands that we may fall short of the mark, but He honors those that repent and walk with a contrite heart.
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