love required
This past Saturday Tita told me something that has stuck with me. She told me she sometimes wishes she could have her own healing ministry and be able to only lay her hands on people to declare them free from addictions. However, in the midst of thinking that God told her, ¨but that doesn´t require love.¨
That doesn´t require love.
It would be so much easier to just lay hands on someone, declare them free, then walk away and never see them again. But there is no love reuired in that. Love is walking with someone through good and bad. Love desires to see them change, for their own good, and is patient enough to walk with them as long as necessary to see that happen. It never happens overnight. It is always a process of two steps forward and one step back. Often it is frustrating in the midst of our ministry but it is important to look at how patient God is.
I love the verse in 2 Peter 2:9 which says,
¨The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.¨
Praise God for his patience in our lives. His timing is so much different than our microwave mentality. We have become accustomed to instant results, but that doesn´t often happen in human relationships. We need to remember how patient and loving God has been with us and have that same patience and love for others.
