Approved of God

                                  "...in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,

in much p a t i e n c e, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 

In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; 

By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, 

BY LOVE UNFEIGNED, 

By the word of t r u t h, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: 
As deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; 
as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, 

and yet possessing all things."

II Corinthians 6:4-10

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I entitled my blog By Love Unfeigned, which is from the passage above. Having unfeigned love is one of the ways we can approve ourselves as ministers of God. When I first read this passage years ago, I stopped at the word unfeigned. What does it mean? My research began. Unfeigned is translated from the Greek word ajnupovkritoß, which means undisguised, sincere; genuine. It is by absolutely pure love that we can be approved of God. I know from the times my heart has been tested that my love is not 100% genuine all the time. Only when Christ lives in us and we claim His perfect love as our own, can we be approved of God. Notice in II Corinthians 6:4-10 how ministers of God are identified: in, by, and as. Being a minister of God, we will be led in dark paths that require faith. But by trust in His word we can follow. And as we follow, so are our lives fulfilled. While fulfilling His ministry on earth, Christ Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," (John 15:13). Are we sincerely  ministers of God on earth now? Do we love others sacrificially in such a way that we put our lives and dreams aside to usher God's truth to others? In laying our lives aside we may feel like we have nothing for ourselves, but in reality we possess all things. Our place of prayer is before His Throne of grace, and our work is invested in His eternal Kingdom!

"For there is one God, 

and one mediator between God and men, 

the man Christ Jesus," 

(I Timothy 2:5).