Young Adults' Group

Abounding In Love

by Pastor Mark
February 05, 2015

A prayer to abound in love

Learning to love is never an easy matter. While it is easy to love some, we may find it harder to love others. The Apostle Paul wrote a special prayer for the Philippian church concerning their love, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,” (Phil 1:9) He prayed for the church to abound in love. This was a prayer that he made continuously. The word “abound” means to be over and above. It is a love that is overflowing and surpassing all. Paul was praying for an overflowing kind of love. This was what the church needed as there were those who were fighting against each other. They should seek to abound in love more and more. Their capacity for love should not remain stagnant but should be ever increasing. Let us never cease to abound in love.

The bases of love      

There are two bases on which our love should grow. Firstly, we should grow our love on the basis of knowledge. The Greek word “epignosis” means deep knowledge that is gained through first-hand experience. Knowledge is not just theory but real and experienced knowledge. It is on the basis of this deeper knowledge that we learn to love. The greater our knowledge is, the greater our love will be. We are to love in knowledge and not ignorance

Secondly, we are to love in all discernment. It is with this deeper knowledge that we can better discern. The word discernment is “aesthesis” from which we derive the English word “aesthetics”. It means the ability to perceive things…to see whether something matches with another.

Wisdom gained from experience plays a part in gaining this discernment…perception. It is with this perception that we should love. In praying for our love to abound, let us be challenged to abound in love…in deep knowledge and wise discernment.

Expressions of our love

How should we express this love?

1. Ability to approve things that are excellent

“That you may approve the things that are excellent,” (Phil 1:10)

Our love should be expressed in discerning what is excellent. The word ‘approve” is a test between good and excellent. Our love should not just be expressed in line with that which is good. We are to express love in more excellent or distinct ways. As we relate to people, let’s be challenged to love in an excellent manner.

2. Sincere and without offence

“That you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,” (Phil 1:10)

The word “sincere” means to have purity and clarity of heart. There is nothing hypocritical. We are to love with much purity of heart. We should also seek to be without offense…to be blameless. We should not be caused to stumble. Love is expressed in a blameless manner. Our prayer to abound in love should not be just for the moment. Let us be challenged to express this love until the Lord comes again.

Let us be challenged to pray that our love will abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment. Let us also seek to intercede for others that they may abound in love too in the year ahead.

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