1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us that love thinks no evil. It’s safe to say that having a negative opinion or judgmental attitude is thinking evil. So, when we have these types of attitudes, we are not walking in love. Matthew 7:6 says “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” When we take on these types of attitudes, it’s like we’re throwing love away to the enemy. The enemy then tramples all over it and then, turns on us.

Not being judgmental and opinionated towards other doesn’t mean we allow wrong behavior and sinful living to go on around us without correction. When we correct wrong behavior or inform someone of their error, we are to do it humbly ( see 2Timothy 2:25). Taking on a prideful attitude like we’re better impairs our spiritual sight.  Matthew 7: 3 says “ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”

It’s possible to be judgmental and negatively opinionated towards others and not even know it. The best way to catch this type of behavior is to ask God to show you when you are being judgmental. I can be a witness to this. God recently revealed to me that I sometimes can be judgmental. I asked Him to forgive me and help me to not be that way. Since then, every time a judgmental thought enters my mind, I can immediately feel the Holy Spirit convicting my heart. I am now more aware of my opinions and attitudes towards others.

Ladies, we have to be very careful of our attitudes and opinions of others. If you have found that you have a judgmental attitude towards others, ask God to forgive you and help you to be better in this area. Let’s walk in love in everything that we do.

Judgments and Opinions Part 2 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

Jesus gives us a very good lesson on being judgmental in Matthew 7:1-6. Verse 1 tells us how to avoid being judged by others. It says ““Judge not, that you be not judged.” This is very plain and simply telling us that if we don’t want to be judged by others, we should not judge. Verse 2 goes on to tell us that the way we judge others is the way we will be judged.  Skipping down to verse 12, it says “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” If we want people to treat us right and not be judgmental and opinionated towards us, we have to treat others right and be judgmental and opinionated towards them.

1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us that love thinks no evil. It’s safe to say that having a negative opinion or judgmental attitude is thinking evil. So, when we have these types of attitudes, we are not walking in love. Matthew 7:6 says “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” When we take on these types of attitudes, it’s like we’re throwing love away to the enemy. The enemy then tramples all over it and then, turns on us…

…to be continued

Judgments and Opinions Part 1 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

When a fellow believer has fallen into sin, this is one of the times that they need us the most. We are to rally around them in prayer and ministry. Doing anything opposite of this is like turning your back on a friend. Even if you and that person are not exactly “friends” you shouldn’t take a prideful and self righteous attitude like you could never do what they have done (Romans 3:23). I remember years ago, a girl that attended the same church as I did got pregnant. She and I had fallen out a few years prior to that and were no longer friends. When I heard that she had gotten pregnant, I was saddened. We were 16 at the time. Laughing at her bad situation wouldn’t have been right.

Haven’t you noticed that when a well known person is found in a bad situation, the first thing the world does is gossip about it? Suddenly, every tabloid, news and talk show wants to to a “story” on it. Well, when we as Christians gossip and seek to profit from a fellow believer’s calamity, we are not conducting ourselves much differently. If you have found that you are guilty of this, repent and ask God to forgive you. Take it a little further and ask the person you committed this offense against to forgive you as well.  Let’s walk in every aspect of love. Let’s be one that reconciles and restores.

Pick Them Up Part 2 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

In Obadiah, God is dealing with the Edomites for taking on a “spectator status” when their brothers were being destroyed. Obadiah 3 says “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart,Who will bring me down to earth? ” In their pride, they sat back and watched, eying the spoils even handing over some Judeans that were tying to flee to the Babylonians. Verse 11 says “On the day that you stood aloof,
On the day that strangers carried off his wealth, And foreigners entered his gate And cast lots for Jerusalem–You too were as one of them. ” In verse 15, God tells Edom that what they have done will be done to them.

We can learn something else from this situation. God judges the conduct of the spectators just as He judges the oppressors. Jesus said that He came to give life and give it more abundantly. To be like Christ means to be like Him in every way. We are suppose to be people of reconciliation and restoration.

Pick Them Up Part 1 of 2 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

1 Corinthians 13:7 says that love believes, hope and endures all things. I believe that love has faith.  Hebrews 11:1 gives the definition for faith. “Now faith is the substance for things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We believe that God will deliver whatever it is we are have faith in. When we are walking in love, if we are believing for a loved one to get saved, we endure and continue to pray never giving up, if we have faith that God will fix our marriage, we continue to endure, no matter how hard it gets. This also goes back to being long-suffering.

When we look at all of the aspects that make up love, we can see why without it, we are nothing. We know by Galatians 5:22 that love is a fruit of the spirit. The only way to produce this fruit is through Christ. No matter what spiritual gifts we possess, if there is no love, it is fruitless. I have learned that our prayer life and our love walk go hand in hand. If our prayers aren’t being answered, chances are, our love walk is not 100%. My sister, I pray that you will continue to walk in love. If there are areas that need to be strengthened, study God’s word on love and pray that God will strengthens you in the areas that need the be strengthened.

“And now abide faith, hope, love these three; but the greatest of these is love”  ~1 Corinthians 13:13

It’s All About Love pt 5 of 5 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

1 Corinthians 13:6 says that love rejoices in truth. The first thing I thought about when I read this is the “no snitching policy” that exists in the streets. When we know someone did wrong and the police asks us about it we are to speak up and tell what happened. If your safety is a concern, there are ways to confidentially give the necessary information. As Christians we should know to depend on God for our safety and security. What makes you think that God won’t protect you when you are doing what is right? Saying we don’t know anything is like covering for the ones that did wrong. Covering up for the wrongdoing of others is not rejoicing in truth. In fact, it is the opposite. As mentioned above, this makes us just as guilty as the person that was in the wrong. Another way to rejoice in truth is to rejoice when we hear of others that live upright and Godly.

It’s All About Love pt 4 of 5 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

Next, 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love does not seek it’s own. In other words, love is not selfish. In today’s world, selfishness seems to be all around us. It seems that everyone wants to excel in one area or another and will do it by any means necessary. Even if it is at the expense of someone else. When we walk in love, we don’t behave this way. Philippians 2:3 tells us to not do things out of selfish ambition. There is nothing wrong with striving to succeed. The way that success is obtained is what is important. Philippians 2:4 follows by saying “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” We are to look out for one another. In a post I recently wrote titled “Supporting The Ministry”, I talked about how I noticed that during the New Testament times, the early Christians took care of each other. If someone had a need, they would see to it that the need was taken care of. In walking in love, we are to not just care about our own needs. We are to be concerned with the needs of others as well.

The third behavior given to us in  1 Corinthians 13:5 is not being provoked. Being provoked is the same as being short tempered. This means make you upset at the drop of a dime. Did you know that not being provoked goes hand in hand with long-suffering? When we are long-suffering, we don’t allow anger to come in so quickly. Although being angry is a natural emotion, what we do with it is what often gets us into trouble. Ephesians 4:26-27 says “ Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath nor give place to the devil” One way we can sin is with our mouths. We allow our emotions to control what we say and we end up saying hurtful things. Colossians 3:8 tells us to avoid this type of behavior. Not letting the sun go down on our wrath means that we are to forgive someone when they offend us and not hold a grudge. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love thinks no evil or keeps an account of evil. Not letting the go down on our wrath means we have 1 day to get over it. After that, we shouldn’t bring it up anymore. When we forgive someone, we let it go.  Not giving place to the devil means we take it up with God, not our neighbors, family, co-workers etc. When we give our hurts to God and truly let Him deal with the issues, there is no place for the devil. We have given that place to God.

It’s All About Love pt 3 of 5 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

1 Corinthians 13:4 says that love is not envious. Being envious can also be defined as being covetous. One of the ten commandment is to not covet. Coveting is to strongly want something that someone else has. When we are envious or when we covet, it shows that we are not content with ourselves and/or what we have. If we were thankful for what we had, then we wouldn’t strongly want what someone else has.

The final part of 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” This tells us that an aspect of love is not conceit or arrogance. In Matthew 23:4-8, one thing that Jesus mentioned when He brought correction to the pharisees was that they paraded themselves around and loved to receive recognition. Matthew 23:5 says “But all of their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge their garments.” Phylacteries are small leather boxes of scriptures that some Jews would tie to their foreheads or to their left arms. They are also called frontlets. The things they were doing were not to glorify God. It was to glorify themselves. We must be careful not to do things to glorify ourselves. Everything we do must be to give God the glory and recognition.

It’s All About Love pt 2 of 5 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us all of the things that make up love. The first aspect of love is long-suffering. The word in itself is pretty self explanatory. Long-suffering is bearing with others and sticking it out. Proverbs 10:12 says “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” When someone wrongs us, we are long-suffering towards them by forgiving them and not holding a grudge or blabbing about it to all of our friends. Holding a grudge against someone will only hurt us in the long run. Jesus said in Matthew 18:21-22 that we should forgive one another no matter how many times we are offended. He also tells us in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we don’t forgive each other, God will not forgive us for our wrong.

It’s All About Love pt 1 of 5 is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com

Love is an Action is a post from: Mrs. BliSs for WomantoAnother.com