Love Endures All Things

2 Corinthians 6:4-6 says, “But in all things we comment ourselves as ministers of God; in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love.” What did you learn this week about enduring the distractions of this life and what it means to seek Him in the midst of it?

Andres T. – Through this week, I was able to experience and learn about what it truly means to abide with Jesus. The Lord taught me that when I abide in Him, I can be fully reliant, dependent, and in constant communion with Him. Constant communion with Christ many times is found through sacrificing our own desires or wants but His provision and communion fulfills much more than anything we could provide ourselves. Jesus desires to be intimate with us, and when we seek to abide in Him, we hear Him and experience His immense love.

Charlene D. – This week the Lord revealed to me how loved I am by Him. I learned to quiet my mind and to listen for His still small voice. And by spending time with Him I learned that He too wants to spend time with me. This week I learned that when I’m dwelling in His love I am more able to love others and I am able to do it out of the right heart.

Leigh Anne Z. – This week I learned what it looked like to truly abide in my Father’s love, and the fruit that comes from doing so. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 75:25-26). It is only from abiding in His love that I am able to then go and pour myself out to others.

Jared R. – This week I found that I have grown in my desire to always want to live in communion with the Lord every day! When I abide in Him, His love, and in His character I will hear what He has to say to me so clearly, and doing this will always leave my heart truly fulfilled! The Father would speak so much identity and vision into my heart this week, and I learned that when I abide in Him is when He will speak truth into me and will guide me in continuing to walk in His love. When I do this, I’m much more able to freely give that love to my brothers and sisters around me!

Neil C. – God has called us to rely on Him because He is the only One that can satisfy, “He restores my soul.” Abiding in the Father and putting to death the desires of the flesh are difficult and not in my nature, but seeking, praying, and fasting rewards you with intimacy with the Father. He is the reward for all those things that I might have communion with Him who is in me.

Sophia P. – This week I learned how precious it is to abide, dwell, sit and just be with Jesus. I realized how easy it is to get distracted like Martha, running around even though Jesus was waiting for her to sit with Him. I am learning to be more like Mary. To choose what is better. To spend my time the best way, sitting at His feet and listening.

Zachary G. – This week I learned that because the Lord has already commanded me in scripture to do things to abide in Him, I don’t need to feel a special calling to do them.  I can just choose to obey. However, when I do choose to obey, it would only be self-righteous to think that I am entitled to receive the answers I am looking for when it is often just about growing in intimacy with Him.  When I abide, I can bear the fruits listed in 2 Corinthians 6:4-6, being a ministering of God in all things.