Learning to Have a Love Agenda

God has recently been showing me deeper ways I can learn to love and encourage others. I want to be more patient, kind, encouraging, affectionate, and gentle—especially with my family. I have been asking the Lord for wisdom to understand why I am finding this so difficult. I think I have identified one important part of it.

One problem is my agenda. When I have an agenda and people get in the way of it, I am frustrated. When I have an agenda, I simply do not see or have the energy to love people. And I am talking about a task oriented agenda. If my agenda were loving people, that would be produce a difference result altogether. For example, when the children do not do a job correctly, my agenda determines my response. If my agenda is the task itself, then I am frustrated and ungentle. But if my agenda is to relate to, love, build up, and train my children, then I will gently instruct and encourage them.

It seems that I am a fundamentally task oriented person. The physical and practical task, whatever it may be at the moment, must be secondary. People are always first. Love is always first. “Whatever you do, let it be done in love” (1 Cor 16:14).

The Power of Discipline and Love

I just uploaded my teaching from Sunday at Highland Christian Fellowship. It is a continuation of the series from 1 Corinthians 16 on Doing the Work of the Lord. In it I share some of my most life changing moments in learning to be disciplined and learning to love. I also explain the vision and purpose of our fellowship. Listen to it in the Teaching Audio player on the right sidebar or here.

A Motto for My Mouth

Speak only love and
speak only truth
in as few words as possible.

“A Babbeling fool will come to ruin” (Prov 10:10b).

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Prov 10:19)

“Speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15).

Small Things for Him

“Never tire of doing even the smallest things for Him,
because He isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work
as with the love in which it is done.”

- Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

(Thanks for the quote, Brad.)