#soap # 1 Thessalonians 03 ## Title: Goal: Overflowing Love ## Scripture: (1 Thessalonians 3:12) “And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,” (NET) ## Observation: Paul’s goal for them is to love one another in such a way that it overflows. I know many people who struggle with this and I have discovered three main reasons so far: fear of being taken advantage of, selfishness, brokenness. Some do not let their love for one another inspire action because they know there are “takers” out there. They will take all you can give and then move on to someone else. The remedy for this is to love people enough to say no when it is enough. This is not easy because most do not receive the word “no” very easily. However, it can be a great lesson for you both. There are others who are simply selfish. They are the ‘takers.’ The remedy for this is to allow the Lord to soften their hearts and to be loved enough to receive instruction. The final kind are those who have been wounded in both situations. This one is hard because those who wounded you may not have had the most altruistic intentions. However, trust the Lord to bring healing, learn, and never stop working toward overflowing in love. ## Application: Choose to love others again. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being the greatest source of love.