In my time with the Lord this week He specifically led me to Philippians 1:9-11. I had previously read it and had also underlined it. But as I read it this time I sensed that there was a much deeper meaning, which yearned to be revealed. I wanted it to soak into my being so, I asked God to help me to get it, really get it, in a new and fresh and powerful way. This is what I have come to realize through this verse.
Verse 9 reads:
And this, I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight. Amplified minus the parenthesis
The first thing that stood out to me was that love has knowledge and keen insight. We have often thought of love as being simply an emotion, not an entity with knowledge and insight. But the truth is, love is a verb. It is something you do. Then I began to think, what was this knowledge and keen insight that love had.
Also in this verse it talks about love being developed more and more. So it has a beginning, but from that beginning it can be developed into a fullness beyond what it was originally. Sounds like exercise to me. We have muscles, but it is only when we exercise that they become fuller and fuller.
Verse 10 reads:
So, that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless. Amplified minus the parenthesis
As I was meditating on these scriptures I began to realize that by exercising our love and developing it to its fullest, we begin to learn what is of true value intuitively, and that understanding causes us to make moral and right decisions which lead to purity. This happens automatically apart from our own effort because it is life transformation.
The actions will be birthed out of a fully developed love and not out of obligation to follow a moral set of rules. Because our love has become so developed, the knowledge and keen insight that love has will create in us automatically a caliber of living that is reflective of Christ in us.
Verse 11 reads:
May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ to the honor and praise of God. Amplified minus the parenthesis
When reading the parenthesis in this amplified verse I began to see a defined purpose in developing our love. The parenthesis at the end of verse 11 say [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized].
I meditated on these scriptures for several days to allow God to fully reveal the deep meaning in these scriptures. I saw more and more each day the depth of the meaning behind them. Here is a summary of what I feel is the meaning of these scriptures.
We are to purposely exercise our love toward everyone by drawing from Jesus himself and funneling His love, Himself to others. We are to exercise love daily using it actively each and every moment. As it grows, we will automatically begin to make right and moral decisions. As we begin to make these right and moral decisions our lives will become more and more a reflection of Christ in us. And through this, God’s glory will not only be manifest in our lives, but it will be recognized by others and all men will be drawn to Him.
…faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. I Cor. 13:13
Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire
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