The God-kind of love is not dependent on feelings, saying, "I will love you if you treat me good." Instead it says, "I will love you regardless of what you do." That's the way God is. If He didn't love us like that, we would be in big trouble!
We all have messed up somewhere in our lives. We have committed spiritual adultery against God, seeking first after other things instead of Him. But He continued loving us, regardless of what we had done.
God is saying, "To be like Me, you must add that kind of love to your faith." What is God? He is love. He is peace. He is joy. He is holy. These are God-like qualities that should be added to our faith.
Some people know how to confess God's Word. By learning Scriptures like Mark 11:23, they know how to speak against mountains and see them removed. But they will stumble and fall if there is no real love - God's love - functioning in their lives. The Word of God tells us that faith works, or operates, by love (Gal. 5:6).
Love is the ultimate God-like quality. You add this God-like quality of love to your faith, and you will begin believing God for others instead of yourself. You will be believing God to save the lost instead of spending all your time praying for God to take care of your own needs. You will care about people being saved. You will care about the work of the Lord being done, because the work of the Lord is to help others.
You will care not just in your heart but in your actions. You will believe God for food to give to the homeless, for clothes to give to the naked. You will believe Him to help you have time to visit the sick. You will believe Him for money to give into His work so that others may be saved. You will care about what's happening in all the cities of America, and you will want to see His ministry spread throughout the globe!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).
