Love

So these last few days have been crazy busy and what have my readings been centred around ...

LOVE

If I started to list all the different verses on love in His Word - this would take oh probably a good week!

But I will share these two verses which have really stuck with me, both in The Message version:

Phil 1:9-10 "So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of."

1 Cor 13:7 Love "Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, but keep going to the end."

Wow.

We are called to love everyone - from our family, friends, neighbours, fellow believers and strangers - including those who maybe we don't actually get along with all that well or even those who in the natural seem unlovable.

Love is not a feeling - it's an action. We are called to love - that means doing something about it. An example is to care for orphans - a sponsor child knows you love them by the prayers you pray, letters you write and the opportunity you are giving them through financial sponsorship to attend school, have access to food, healthcare etc. We can feel moved to do something but until we actually do it, that's when love truly kicks in. In this case, if we didn't commit, that child wouldn't know that we love them.

I remember hearing (or reading) somewhere that in a marriage, it's not just about the butterflies you get in the beginning (or on your wedding day) - why, because that is a feeling. True love is what comes through when that all subsides and the little things (and sometimes big things) that occur in the day-to-day of life, forgiving when something hasn't been done, patience when conversations don't seem to be going anywhere, the praying together of situations which seem immovable, the staying up and having dinner ready after a long day at work, taking care of the kids spontaneously so one can go relax etc etc.

We can say to God through worship and our prayers, yes we love you - but saying is not enough. God loved us that He sent His Son to die for our sins ... how are we responding to His love and are we loving as He loved?