Hands of The Potter
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Posted: March 11, 2023
Author: Leslie Wittenmyer 1 John 3:18, New International Version “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” |
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It’s been over a year now since I worked in a manufacturing plant. It was there that I was questioning what love was. It was there that I felt the Lord speak into my spirit and say, “Love isn’t a feeling, it is an action.” This was confirmed for me when I read this scripture from 1 John 3:18. It says this, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (NIV) Now that it’s a year later, I feel that the Lord is once again speaking to my spirit telling me what love does.
A well-known scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 13, known as the love chapter. Beginning in verse 4 it says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always persevere.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV)
This Scripture seems to be so well known…by well-known I mean often referred to or often shared…but have we really let it sink into our spirit what love does? All of the things mentioned in the Scripture above are absolutely true! It is the word of God, alive and active! What else does love do?
Love listens. I am not talking about hearing what someone is saying, but actually listening. Hearing is when we perceive sound according to definitions from Oxford Languages. Listening is when we take notice of and act upon what someone says, we are alert and ready to hear something, again from Oxford Languages. In James 1:19-21 (NIV) it says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
There have been times when I have been quick to get on the defensive. Without even thinking, I give a response that stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:28 and 15:1 (NKJV) tells us, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Are we listening? What if we took this a little deeper? Are we listening to what God is saying?
Just as there is a difference in listening and hearing, there is a difference in reading and meditating. When we read something, we can so easily forget what we have just read. When we stop to meditate on it, it changes something inside of us. This is what we should be doing with the word of God. When we meditate on God’s word, we allow it to speak to our inner spirit man/woman, and a beautiful transformation begins to take place. Where we once heard someone speak, we now listen to them speak. We once responded with harsh words to stir up anger, but now we respond with a gentle answer because we have studied how to respond.
Love gives strength. I can’t help but feel that from listening that develops strength. When we listen, the relationship goes deeper. It goes deeper with God and it goes deeper with the ones that we love and care about. We have a better understanding of God and the people we love and care about. Psalm 73:26 (NKJV) says, “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
God Himself is love. He is love and the strength of our heart, the seat of our emotion and will. Where we are lacking, He makes up all the difference. With love from God, our Father, we are strengthened emotionally, mentally, and physically because we have support, encouragement, and a deeper understanding that shows: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:23, NKJV). When we love as God calls us to, the people we love and care about are strengthened emotionally, mentally, and physically because they have the support, encouragement and understanding that is produced from the fruit of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:23.
Love brings fruitfulness. When we allow love to listen and for love to strengthen, it can therefore go forth and produce fruitfulness. Think about it, there is unity taking place; unity between us and God, and unity between our loved ones and ourselves. Jesus states in His high priestly prayer in John 17:20-23 (NKJV), “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
Our Savior prayed for our unity, for our strength, for us to listen. When we become one in Him and Him in us, we are living, breathing, and walking testimonies of the gospel! The world will know us by our love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35, NKJV)
There is no life more beautiful than a life lived in love. Let us listen. Let us strengthen one another. Let us be united. Let us love!
A well-known scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 13, known as the love chapter. Beginning in verse 4 it says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always persevere.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV)
This Scripture seems to be so well known…by well-known I mean often referred to or often shared…but have we really let it sink into our spirit what love does? All of the things mentioned in the Scripture above are absolutely true! It is the word of God, alive and active! What else does love do?
Love listens. I am not talking about hearing what someone is saying, but actually listening. Hearing is when we perceive sound according to definitions from Oxford Languages. Listening is when we take notice of and act upon what someone says, we are alert and ready to hear something, again from Oxford Languages. In James 1:19-21 (NIV) it says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
There have been times when I have been quick to get on the defensive. Without even thinking, I give a response that stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:28 and 15:1 (NKJV) tells us, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Are we listening? What if we took this a little deeper? Are we listening to what God is saying?
Just as there is a difference in listening and hearing, there is a difference in reading and meditating. When we read something, we can so easily forget what we have just read. When we stop to meditate on it, it changes something inside of us. This is what we should be doing with the word of God. When we meditate on God’s word, we allow it to speak to our inner spirit man/woman, and a beautiful transformation begins to take place. Where we once heard someone speak, we now listen to them speak. We once responded with harsh words to stir up anger, but now we respond with a gentle answer because we have studied how to respond.
Love gives strength. I can’t help but feel that from listening that develops strength. When we listen, the relationship goes deeper. It goes deeper with God and it goes deeper with the ones that we love and care about. We have a better understanding of God and the people we love and care about. Psalm 73:26 (NKJV) says, “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
God Himself is love. He is love and the strength of our heart, the seat of our emotion and will. Where we are lacking, He makes up all the difference. With love from God, our Father, we are strengthened emotionally, mentally, and physically because we have support, encouragement, and a deeper understanding that shows: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:23, NKJV). When we love as God calls us to, the people we love and care about are strengthened emotionally, mentally, and physically because they have the support, encouragement and understanding that is produced from the fruit of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:23.
Love brings fruitfulness. When we allow love to listen and for love to strengthen, it can therefore go forth and produce fruitfulness. Think about it, there is unity taking place; unity between us and God, and unity between our loved ones and ourselves. Jesus states in His high priestly prayer in John 17:20-23 (NKJV), “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
Our Savior prayed for our unity, for our strength, for us to listen. When we become one in Him and Him in us, we are living, breathing, and walking testimonies of the gospel! The world will know us by our love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35, NKJV)
There is no life more beautiful than a life lived in love. Let us listen. Let us strengthen one another. Let us be united. Let us love!
