In 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (NLT) “If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.” (TLB)
Jesus believes in me. There is plenty of proof in his Word, the Bible! Verses such as:
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20 NIV).
“Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23 NIV).
“If you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more” (Matthew 21:21 TLB).
Jesus believes I can do all these things because he knows that, when I place my trust in him, his Spirit will live in me. He also wants me to help others believe this about themselves. The apostle Paul offered this encouragement: “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).
Each day I will encounter people with low self-esteem. Everybody has insecurities. And many people are repeatedly playing a tape in their mind of when someone said to them long ago that they wouldn’t amount to anything.
How can people reverse a curse others have tried to place on them? I can help be the catalyst that can help them start believing what Jesus says about them, instead of believing what other people say.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (NLT) The living Bible version says, “If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him” (TLB).
This is what God wants me to do. He wants me to show faith in others so they can believe what God says about them.
One of the best ways I do this in the church is by being part of a small group. When I have a really tough week and I’m doubting and down and discouraged, I need a group of trusted people who will believe in and are for me. And I can do the same for them. Followers of Jesus don’t just believe in Christ. We also believe in each other.
My faith can help grow the faith of others as I believe in them like Jesus believes in me.
God's kind of love is directed toward others, not inward toward myself. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against my natural inclination. It is impossible to have this love unless God help me set aside my own desires to that I can love and not expect anything in return. The more I become like Christ, the more love I will show others.
For a long time I had insecurities that have kept me from believing in myself like Jesus believes in me. By spending time in God’s Word and through relationships in small groups I was able to see and realize how God sees me.
In summary, tell it like it could be. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always helpful, and endures through every circumstance. Love always looks for the best. When I have high expectations of someone, I don't tell them like it is, rather I tell them like it could be. I believe in what God wants to do in and through that person, and I affirm God's purpose for them. Because I expect them to be better, they will rise to the challenge. I will shape those around me by my expectations of them. When I expect the best, I'm reflecting the lasting love of Jesus.
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