THE NATURE OF LOVE IS THE JOY OF GIVING. GOD LOVES TO GIVE. HIS CHILDREN SHOULD BE LOVERS OF GIVING. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF LOVE WHICH IS THE JOY OF GIVING. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 DECLARES: GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. SOME OF US MAYBE GIVERS, BUT NOT CHEERFUL ONES. YOU SEE, THAT IS HOW GOD GIVES: JOYFULLY, FOR THAT IS THE NATURE OF LOVING. HUSBANDS SHOULD LOVE THEIR WIVES NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR MARRIAGE COVENANT, BUT PRIMARILY FOR THE JOY OF LOVING THEIR WIVES. THEN YOU ARGUE WHAT THEN IF THERE IS NO JOY? LOVE ANYHOW! REMEMBER THAT THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED IN YOUR HEART IN THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE IS THE SPIRIT OF LOVE. USE AGAPE LOVE TO LOVE! AND IT IS THE NATURE OF AGAPE LOVE TO LOVE JOYFULLY! LOVING JOYFULLY YOU CAN EVEN LOVE THE UNLOVABLE. BECAUSE THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD FLOWING THROUGH YOU. WHY DOES GOD LIKES SO MUCH A JOYFULL GIVERS? BECAUSE THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE LOVE OF GOD! LET'S USE THE EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO IS IN LOVE WITH ANOTHER PERSON. YOU JOYFULLY MAKE SACRIFICE FOR THAT PERSON WHOM YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH. YOU DON'T MIND GIVING GIVES TO THAT PERSON. FOR YOU IT IS A JOY TO SERVE THAT PERSON. BUT YOU ARGUE: WELL I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH EVERYBODY. BUT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT ROMANTIC LOVE HERE: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUPERNATURAL DIVINE SPIRITUAL LOVE. EVEN GOD WE HAVE TO LOVE FOR THE JOY OF LOVING HIM. WHAT THEN, WILL MOTIVATE US TO LOVE LIKE THAT? WELL, THE VERY LOVE OF GOD OPERATING AND FUNCTIONING WITHIN US. REMEMBER THE MOST IMPORTANT REALITY IS LOVE. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS LOVE. IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE. AND GOD IS LOVE. GOD IS THIS JOYFULL BEING WHO IS LOVE. LOVE IS THE CENTRAL REALITY. YOU SEE, GOD IS TOTALLY SELFLESS. HE IS UNSELFISH. LOVE IS NOT SELFISH. YOU ARGUE THAT IF WE SEEK JOY IN GIVING WE ARE BEING SELF-CENTERED. NO WAY. THIS JOY IS GOD HIMSELF. WE SEEK TO ENJOY GOD AS JOY, NOT WE OURSELVES. IF YOU SEE IT CAREFULLY, WHEN YOU SEEK JOY IN GIVING TO OTHERS: THEIR NEEDS ARE MET BY YOUR GIVING, GOD IS GLORIFIED AND YOU GET THE JOY OF THE GOOD DEED! THIS IS A HEALTHY SELF-INTEREST AND IT IS NOT SINFUL. OF COURSE THERE IS A SATANIC SELF-INTEREST CALLED SELFISNESS WHICH DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE NEEDS OF OTHERS. WE NEED THE RECOVERY OF A JOYFUL LOVE. DO YOU LOVE TO GIVE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS? GOD LOVES TO DO THAT, DO YOU? WHEN OUR LIVES END IN THIS WORLD CAN IT BE SAID IN HEAVEN: HE OR SHE LIVED TO LOVE. FRIENDS SHOULD LOVE IN THIS MOST HOLY WAY. THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENS IN MARRIED COUPLES. ALL THAT SOME HUSBANDS LOOK FOR IS THEIR OWN PLEASURE. TO USE THE WIFE AS AN OBJECT OF SEX-PLEASURE. BUT WHAT IF THE HUSBAND SEEKS HIS JOY IN PLEASURING HIS WIFE? AND THE WIFE DOES THE SAME? THEN, WE WILL HAVE MORE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES MORE "SEXUALLY HAPPY". MAY THE LORD GRANT US ALL THE GRACE OF HIS LOVE, THAT WE MAY JOYFULLY LOVE ONE ANOTHER JUST AS THE LORD JOYFULLY LOVE US ALL AND JOYFULLY FORGIVE US! AMEN
