Love

Scripture: Psalm 63:3, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you!”

Thought: In this month of February love is in the air. Everywhere you go you see roses, red hearts and teddy bears, heart balloons and romantic greeting cards and mmm… chocolate. This is a month where people go out of their way to show that special someone just how much they are loved. But have you ever really known what true love is? If we really examine the meaning of love in comparison to what God says it means, we fall short every time.

You see, God doesn’t love like we love. We say, “I love him because he’s wonderful to me” or “I love her because she takes care of me” or “I love them because they are such good people.”

Well, would you love him if he wasn’t so wonderful? Would you love her if she didn’t take care of you? Would you love them if they weren’t such good people? Chances are you might not. Our love has conditions… “I love you because….” or “I love you if…” But God’s love doesn’t work that way. God’s love is unconditional! God’s love is genuine and pure! Why? Because God IS love and God loves you! In fact, God loves you so much that he gave his only son to pay for your sin by dying on a cross. And what’s wonderful about that is that Bible says, if you believe in Him, you will not perish but instead you will have everlasting life! (John 3:16)

God created you to be with Him eternally but man’s relationship with God was ruined when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Why? Because sin separates us from God. But God, in his mercy and love for us, sent His only son to restore mankind and make right that relationship between God and man again. Why would He do this for you? Because God cannot stand the thought of an eternity without you!

God says in Leviticus 11:44, “…be holy because I am holy.” Part of living a holy life is loving like He loves. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” If you do not have love, you cannot have joy in your life. If you have no love, you cannot have peace or patience; you cannot be kind and good. Without love there is no faith, no gentleness and no self-control. You might be thinking that you don’t know how to love because you have never been loved. But you have been loved… God has loved you since the beginning; since before you were ever born! Or maybe you’re holding on to something terrible that doesn’t allow you to love. My friend, if this is the case then it is time to let go! Take your cares and burdens to the Lord in prayer and let go and forgive those that have hurt you so that you can have the freedom

to love; truly love.

So what is love? “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres… Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:4-8a)

Simply open up your heart and allow yourself to be loved and love. Be blessed.