The First Goal in Life

Since pleasing God is the first purpose of our lives, our most important task involves discovering how to use our talents in such a way that God will be pleased by watching us develop our gifts to serve others and honor him.

Gratitude

Salvation is not about winning God’s approval; it’s about gratitude for his love.

Wende Whitus

The Nature of Christian Love

If you can think of an example of these characteristics of love, please add the example in the comment section.

v    Love is patient. Stanton called Lincoln a “low cunning clown.” Yet, Lincoln made Stanton his war minister because Lincoln considered him the best man for the job.

v    Love is kind. Christianity engenders a sweetness that wishes everyone well.

v    Love knows no envy. Begrudging others because of their talents and possessions is even worse than coveting what others have.

v    Love is no braggart. The real lover cannot get over the wonder that he is loved.

v    Love is not inflated with its own importance.

v    Love does not behave gracelessly. Courtesy and politeness floods our countenance with love.

v    Love does not insist upon its rights. Love forgets privileges and remembers responsibilities.

v    Love never flies into a temper. One filled with love can keep his head when everyone else is losing his and blaming it on him and when being hated avoid giving way to hating.

v    Love does not remember a wrong. Love erases memory of a slight as the schoolboy erases the chalkboard.

v    Love finds no pleasure in evil doing.

v    Love rejoices in the truth. Love has nothing to conceal.

v    Love can endure anything. When disaster destroys fences, love mends them.

v    Love is completely trusting. The paranoid believes the world is out to do him ill. The lover believes the world is out to do him good.

v    Love never ceases to hope.

v    Love bears everything with triumphant fortitude.