How can we "increase and overflow in love" towards others in daily life? Key Verse “And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” What “Increase and Overflow” Means • Increase – love that keeps growing, never content with yesterday’s measure • Overflow – love so abundant it spills over to all around, not limited to our circle of friends God Is the Source • Romans 5:5 – “the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” • John 15:5 – abiding in Christ is the only way to bear this fruit • Galatians 5:22 – love is the Spirit’s firstlisted fruit, not self-manufacture Daily Habits That Open the Floodgates • Start each morning asking the Lord to enlarge your heart (Psalm 119:32) • Read and meditate on passages that reveal Christ’s love (John 13; 1 Corinthians 13) • Confess any bitterness quickly; clogged hearts can’t overflow (Ephesians 4:31-32) • Keep a “gratitude log” so appreciation toward God fuels kindness toward people (Colossians 3:15) • Memorize one “love verse” weekly to refresh your mind (Psalm 119:11) Seeing People through God’s Eyes • Remember every person bears God’s image (Genesis 1:27) • View believers as family (1 John 3:14) and unbelievers as future family God may adopt (Acts 26:18) • Ask, “How would I treat Christ if He stood in front of me?” (Matthew 25:40) Concrete Ways to Overflow Today • Speak life-giving words—compliments, thanks, Scripture reminders (Proverbs 18:21) • Serve quietly—wash dishes, run errands, hold doors (Mark 10:45) • Practice generous giving—time, money, possessions (2 Corinthians 9:7-8) • Show hospitality—invite someone lonely for a meal (Romans 12:13) • Forgive quickly—release debts as God did yours (Ephesians 4:32) • Pray regularly—intercede for coworkers, neighbors, enemies (Matthew 5:44) • Share the gospel—greatest act of love (Romans 1:16) Love’s Protective Power • “Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8) • Overflowing love guards unity in marriage, church, and community (Colossians 3:14) Growing in Discernment • Philippians 1:9 – love should “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” • Ask God for wisdom to act in each situation: tough love, gentle love, silent love, speaking love Encouraging One Another • Celebrate acts of love you see; affirmation multiplies them (Hebrews 10:24) • Share testimonies of God’s love working through you; they inspire others (Psalm 66:16) Looking to Christ’s Example • John 13:1 – Jesus “loved them to the end” • 1 John 4:10-11 – His sacrificial love becomes our pattern and motivation Anticipating the Finish Line • 1 Thessalonians 3:13 shows the goal: “so that He may establish your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus.” • Growing love prepares us for that day; every act of Spirit-empowered love is training for eternity. |
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