Sisterhood Devo!
/Sisterhood Devotional
"This is how we have discovered love’s reality: Jesus sacrificed his life for us. Because of this great love, we should be willing to lay down our lives for one another. If anyone sees a fellow believer in need and has the means to help him, yet shows no pity and closes his heart against him, how is it even possible that God’s love lives in him?"
1 John 3:16-17 The Passion Translation
February is when we celebrate Valentine’s Day. The world recognizes this day as a time to express love through the exchange of gifts, going out on dates, love notes and greeting cards, and through other modes of affection. This is all nice and it is well meaning, though it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the agape love of God towards us, nor does it compare to the way the Lord describes we should love one another. Agape love is the highest form of love. It is self-sacrificial and humbly inconvenient, best illustrated by Jesus and his death on the cross, so that we may have abundant life two-fold, here on earth, and for eternity in heaven.
God is the very definition of love, and love is chock full of action, despite feelings. When 1 Corinthians 13 goes through what love IS (patient, kind, it does not keep record of wrongs, it protects, always trusts, hopes, and perseveres) and what love IS NOT (it does not boast, it is not rude, not self-seeking, or easily angered, nor does it delight in evil), it isn’t meant to be an idealistic bible scripture to be recited at wedding ceremonies. It is to be our very way of life, demonstrated to the people we love, the people who drive us crazy, those we may not like so much or barely tolerate, and we are even called to love those who hate us. Love is the foundation for how we conduct ourselves and love is the essence by which we live out our Christianity. This is not to say that we let others mistreat us or abuse us. Part of love, I believe, is having the proper boundaries in place, growing in who we are as we mature in Christ and his likeness. The point is, we should always take inventory on whether Christ is reflected in and through us. Are we motivated by love? If we do not love those around us, then we cannot say that we love God whom we have not seen (1 John 4:20). Let us be led by God’s love for us!
Lord, forgive us for not always loving others, please help us to live and love out loud, just like you. We surrender our selfishness, and ask that you lead us in a deeper agape love walk, so all may see Christ reflected in and through us. We trust that it is done, and we thank you for answering our prayer. In Jesus name, the name above all names we pray, Amen!
-Dinorah Bonifacio
SISTERHOOD Small Groups
(more info soon)
Thursday, Feb 27th:
(a)10 am - Moms Group @ Stacie's;
(b)7pm Haverhill with Val & Juanita @ Val Horgan's;
(c)7pm Haverhill with Maleida Cook @ Cook's.
Saturday, Feb 29th:
10 am - Londonderry with Edna & Gloria @ Gloria's.