That Your Love May Abound

By Sheri Del Core

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians embodies the essence of Christian Spiritual growth. Maturing as a Christ follower begins with love. A solid foundation of who we are, and who we belong to is the fertile ground for our spiritual development. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1

Knowing the difference between what is better and what is best is choosing excellence; focusing our mind and energy on what really matters. For every godly choice we are rejecting something lesser, what the world would offer. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Not compromising in our attitude towards what we know as God’s truth is sincerity. Being true to what we claim to believe—even when no one is watching. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Romans 12:2

Our love in action, or rather Christ’s love expressed through us, is our fruit. Every time we serve, encourage and point others to Jesus we are bearing good fruit. This is the produce of living our lives rooted in Jesus Christ—drawing on his righteousness, strength and joy. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4

Accepting that the yuck of life often turns out to be fabulous fertilizer for spiritual growth occurs when looking back and seeing that those times of hardship moved us to a new place in our relationship with God. As true as that is I’m personally not looking for more hardships in my life! We can intentionally nurturing growth by developing an attitude of gratitude, rejecting negative thinking and surrounding ourselves with positive people.

Fostering a focused mind through prayer, basking in God’s presence and meditating on God’s Word fills us with the fruits of Christ’s righteousness. All this wonderful development as a child of God is not for our own lofty sense of attainment but to pour out on others—to invest in people as Jesus did—and all this too His glory.

Sheri Del Core writes from Aptos, California. sheridc@pacbell.net