MISSION:LOVE11

A Testimony of Love

From 2000-2003 I traveled over 100,000 miles of the United States for God’s glory, and to make His great Name known.  I lived on a tour bus in two different teams of eight people on a music evangelism team. On the road we learned that despite our many differences  it was paramount that we learn to love one another. Nothing else had higher priority.  Our love for one another was the foundation for the success of our ministry. We learned that love was a choice that was seen in action, and not just in feeling.

Love also demanded that we be honest with each other in our daily life together.  To love one another was not an option. It was a commandment given to us by the Lord. (John 13:34-35)

God honored our commitment to obedience in this area. At the end of the journey we saw much fruit.  Hundreds of People came to know the Lord. Thousands rededicated their lives to Him and we came away not only loving one another, but with stronger spiritual lives, ourselves.  It wasn’t easy though.  There were tough times that we pushed, and prayed through.

What we experienced on the road was a picture for all believers.  Scripture teaches us that God wants us all to be rooted and grounded in His love. (Ephesians 3:14-19) One of the true blessings of being rooted and grounded in God’s perfect love is that His it melts away all our fears.  (1 John 4:18)  As the  team leader on the road I knew that nothing was more important to God, and to our ministry, than our love for one another. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)   This wasn’t easy to walk out. There were times where the people on the team didn’t like each other, but in the end we left loving one another.  We are still very close friends.  That’s a testimony to the power of God’s love, when we’re obedient to His commandments vs. hanging onto offenses, hurts, resentments or bitterness.

Walking in love is of vital importance for all God’s children. Offenses, hurts, resentments and bitterness kill the soul and poison the spirit, whereas “love never fails.”

I thank God that He allowed us to walk in His supernatural love by the power of His Holy Spirit. Our persistent commitment to honest and godly communication and forgiveness were the keys to our success.  We applied tools found in Gary Chapman’s “The Five Love Languages” to help us identify the ways people feel loved.  We intentionally spent time listening to each other’s “stories” in order to understand who we each were, and the life experiences that shaped our characters and choices. We worked to move out of ourselves, and take actions necessary to communicate selfless love to each other.

In the end we experienced how God wants all His children to live. In each of our relationships love must have priority.  We must consider each other as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3) and cultivate an intimate love relationship with God.

When we know we are loved by God, we’ll be able to love like God.  It’s then that we’ll demonstrate God’s Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.