Do We Really Have the Ability?

"God measures our maturity by how well we love"- Beth Moore

"There will be terrible times in the last of days. people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth-men of depraved minds, who as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because as in the case of those them, their folly will be clear to everyone.
You however know about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings, what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a goldly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while eveil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and deving deceived......All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the name of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God measures maturity by how well we love. The type of people that Paul talks about weren't necessarily born that way. FULL of sin from birth. They got there somehow. Paul advises Timothy to stay away from those people at the end of days, and i agree-there is no hope for them then! But what about when they are making those choices early on....we sense they don't know God by their choices, actions, and words....but really all it is is hurt. they are hurting inside.
"But I get so scared when God prompts me to say anything"
"There is no fear in love, perfect love drives out fear"
He's growing you....whether it's a stranger, your mother, even your husband or kids. We have the ability to love like this because Jesus gave us the power (the same power that raised Jesus from the dead), the love (the love that never fails, and gives us the desire to share Him), and self-discipline (sound mind, good judgement, and discretion).
The end of days is a warning-that if we don't spread his word of LOVE than this is what we can expect.
I think sometimes i get in the perspective that things are so bad (i get numb to loving because all i see is hate or death on the news). Really, God doesn't think it's so bad right now. He flooded the earth in Noah's day-started completely over from scratch. He hasn't done that to us! He must have really been mad back then!
Let's truly display that we are lovers of the LIVING GOD. We all get the religion thing-we all can follow the laws, the "DOs and DON'Ts". Let's really ask God to ignite His power in us so we can love (not out of duty, but OVERFLOW). Let's risk getting persecuted (made fun of, denied, ignored)!!!
We don't even really have to say anything. We can go on a mission trip to a 3rd world country. We can bring our neighbor cookies or ask if we can help her in the yard. We can stop buying people's happiness and start spending time with them, even if it's in the stillness and quietness of our prayer closet.
Love is a movement. Love is an overflow. It's not our power, but our willingness.
I need to stop asking myself if I have the ability, and start acting on it.
Do you?