Love: The Secret of Success

"Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:8, The Amplified Bible)

Fear of failure. It's haunted all of us at some time in our lives. Popular psychology tells us to adjust to it. But the Word of God tells us that there is a failure-proof way to live without it. It is the way of LOVE.

If you want to know real success, you must learn to be moved and motivated by love. That's how Jesus was when He was on the earth.

Even when John the Baptist was senselessly, brutally murdered and Jesus went away to be alone, He didn't deviate from the way of love. For Matthew 14:6-14 says that even then in that emotionally taxing time when the people followed Him and would give Him no solitude, He was moved with compassion and healed their sick.

I used to wonder how Jesus could just turn away from that terrible crime and not retaliate. What I didn't realize was that He did retaliate. He overcame the works of Satan with compassion. He defeated hatred with love. He attacked Satan in the spirit realm by destroying his works of sickness and disease.

Compassion doesn't strike at the surface of things. It goes to the root of the problem. That's why it always succeeds.

"But wait!" you may say. "I can't operate like that. I'm not Jesus."

Yes you can, because the Word of God says that His love has been shed abroad in your heart! (Rom. 5:5). And 1 John 2:5 says His love is perfected in you as you keep His Word.

Commit to living the life of love today. Watch God turn failure into success at home, at work...in any situation. LOVE NEVER FAILS!

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:1-14

Believe the Love

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us." (1 John 4:16)

One day I was walking along a highway through a park praying and I asked a simple question, "Lord, what do You want me to tell Your people?" Without a moment's hesitation, these words came ringing through my spirit and my mind:

Tell them how much I love them.

They were so filled with love and compassion that it defies words to express it. For days afterward all I could think of was 1 John 4:16. "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us."

We've read about God's love. We've heard about it. But I don't think many of us have really believed it. If we did, it would totally change everything about us and everything around us.

It's that love that caused Jesus to lay down His life for us and to experience for Himself all the pains and weaknesses we experience. It's that love that says to us, even when we feel so unworthy, "Come to Me and get what you need. Don't be shy about it. I've been there. Come boldly to the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Think about it. God is in love with you--so in love, He's given you everything He has! He's given you all the healing, all the wisdom, all the wealth, all the strength you could ever need.

"But what about my terrible past?"

That's what His mercy is for! It's taken care of your past. It's covered every sin and failure you ever had. All you have to do now is believe and receive His love.

What a shame it is that people suffer at the hands of sickness and disease and every other cursed thing just because they can't believe the love God has for them. Don't let that happen to you. Learn to believe the love.

Believe the love God has for you. It's already been released in the blood of Jesus.

Believe the love. It's already been released in Jesus' Name.

Believe the love. It's already been released in His Word.

Meditate that scripture over and over. Say it to yourself again and again all day, "I believe the love Jesus has for me." Once it gets down into your heart, you'll never be the same again.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:1-18 

In Good Times and Bad

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him." (Psalm 91:14-15)

God is called by many names. He is the Lord our Healer, our Provider, our Banner, and our Righteousness. He also promises to be our Deliverer. In this troubled world that may very well be what we need Him to be most often.

But there are many believers who never experience God's mighty delivering power because, instead of walking closely with Him day by day, they wait until danger strikes to call upon Him. That just doesn't work. If you want God to rescue you in the bad times, you have to fellowship with Him in the good times. Why? Because God responds to faith. Our faith, not our need, is what causes Him to act on our behalf. And we'll never be able to develop that kind of faith, that kind of trust and confidence in Him, if we don't spend enough time with Him to get to know Him.

First John 3:20-22 tells us that we have confidence toward God when we do the things that are pleasing in His sight. If we only serve God half-heartedly, then we will not have confidence in Him to deliver us from trouble. When danger surrounds us, instead of being filled with faith, we'll find ourselves paralyzed with fear.

Love and serve God with your whole heart. Walk closely with Him in the good times. Then, when you need Him to be your Deliverer, you'll know without a doubt you can trust Him to care for you!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 108:1-6