A HEART OF LOVE

Christian living includes a heart of love, which will:

1. Listen without interrupting.
    My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
    Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
    and slow to become angry.
    (James 1:19)
    To answer before listening-that is folly and shame.
    (Proverbs 18:13)

2. Speak without accusing.
    The chief priests and the teachers of the law
    were standing there, vehemently accusing him
    (Luke 23:10)

3. Give without sparing.
    All day long he craves for more,
    but the righteous give without sparing.
    (Proverbs 21:26)

4. Pray without ceasing.
    For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have
    not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill
    you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom
    and understanding that the Spirit gives.
    (Colossians 1:9)

5. Answer without arguing.
    Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
    than a house full of feasting, with strife.
    (Proverbs 17:1)

6. Share without pretending.
    Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight,
    so that it may go well with you.
    (Deuteronomy 6:18a)

7. Enjoy without complaint.
    Do everything without grumbling or arguing.
    (Philippians 2:14)

8. Trust without wavering.
    Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on
    your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
    (Proverbs 3:5-6)

9. Forgive without punishing.
    Bear with each other and forgive one another
    if any of you has a grievance against someone.
    Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
    (Colossians 3:13)

10. Promise without forgetting.
       You are my portion, LORD;
       I have promised to obey your words.
       (Psalm 119:57)

Words of wisdom (Proverbs 18)

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.

When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.

The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.

The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.

The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.

One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.

The name of the LORD is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.

To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.

The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.

A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.

A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the LORD.

The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.