Thoughts about LACK OF LOVE with regards to Healing ministry

Lack of Love - My greatest issue/sin

I have no excuse. 

I'm not ignorant - I know what God has mandated and empowered us to do - to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom which includes HEALING the sick and casting out demons. 

I'm not deceived - there is a false teaching out there (YES, it is a FALSE teaching, it is NOT the Apostolic faith, and must repented of) that says the miraculous gifts "ceased". I know the truth. I've seen in reality that Cessationism is demonstrably untrue.

I'm not fearful - not that this can't be an issue for me, but I am not afraid to approach people and offer to pray for their healing. I'm not afraid of what might not happen or what they will think of me. I know this isn't the case for some, but for me this isn't the issue.

I'm not in unbelief - again, this can and has been an issue, especially when considering going after a condition I haven't seen healed yet (or don't see healed often). But I am usually okay to swing the bat - an offer to pray. But this isn't where I am stuck.

I DO, HOWEVER, OFTEN LACK LOVE - The lack of love is my greatest issue when I want to go after healing and especially when I have opportunities to approach strangers who need healing. 

Jesus was motivated by LOVE. He is love - He is God and God is love and therefore whatever God does, He does from love, through love and by love. Even when He brings judgment, and yes, He does bring judgment, He does it out of love!

When Jesus healed the sick, the diseased, the injured...He did it because He was compelled by love. 

Matthew 14:14 - And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick.

I, however, am so often not motivated by what motivated Jesus. There are many ulterior motives as to why we can and do minister to people in Jesus' Name. And many of those motivations can be lesser ones (even bad ones if we are honest). And I'm not too worried because we don't often even know what motivates us. In short, if we are waiting for 100% pure motives before we step out in Kingdom ministry, we will never step out. In the eternal state, our motives will be 100% pure all the time. Until then, they will be mixed (just keepin it real - and slaying the myth of 'fantasy land')

A powerful insight came to me when I considered some years ago a radical passage (2 verses) in the Apostle John's 1st Epistle:

• 1 John 3:17-18 - But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

In and of itself, this passage is powerful, convicting, and a radical call to those who have to give to those who don't - it is a love issue. Compassion demands a response. For one to say they love God and have His love, means they will not be closing their hearts to those in need, especially in this case our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

However, I had further insight into this passage. Wouldn't it also apply to those of us who have been given authority to heal and set captives free? We have been given the Holy Spirit, He resides within us, the same power that rose Jesus from the dead is ours due to His presence...So, I have come up with what I'll call, an "Application Translation" of the same passage (1 John 3:17-18). 

If anyone has the Holy Spirit living inside of them, with the mandate and authority to heal the sick, and sees someone who needs healing, yet closes their heart against that person-how can God’s love be in that person?” (DOV – Dave’s Ouch Version)

Whatever it takes, whatever the cost - we must get THIS right. We must be motivated first and foremost by love. It is the way of the Kingdom. 

This is what we do - we contend. We won't live below what God has called us to, what He has enabled us to be and to do. And doing what we do from love is God's standard for us in Christ Jesus. 

GO AND LOVE!!!!