During these volatile times, our daughter-in-law recently said, “What we need is more love.” And I said, “Amen!”
What does God’s Word say about love?
Here are some verses:
- “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12)
- “Make love your aim… (1 Corinthians 14:1)
- “…for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
- “…the fruit of the Spirit is love,..” (Galatians 5:22)
- “So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
- “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2)
- “Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
- “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12,17)
- “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself…” (Mark 12: 31)
- “And above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14)
- “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…” (Ephesians 5:2)
- “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” (Luke 6:32)
- “Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)
Just imagine what our country would be like if everyone followed Christ’s command to love one another as He loves us? God knows what it would be like, and that is why His Word tells us to make love our aim.
And love is so important that He even commands us to love one another. Before reading further, slowly reread each verse. Then ask God to make the verses come alive during your daily life.
We know that hatred stirs up strife and love is the antidote. We also know that love binds everything in perfect harmony. So we need to ask ourselves three questions:
- What is this type of love?
- How can we get it?
- How can we show it to others?
What is this type of love?
God’s Word says, “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Do your daily actions show this type of love?
How can we get it?
God is the one who gives this type of love. God’s Word tells us that He is love. Because God is love, we need to spend time each day getting to know God better, so we can learn more about love. And we can do this by reading His Word and praying.
Here are a few additional steps to take at the start of each day:
- Ask God to search your heart to see if there is any “wicked way in you” (Psalm 139:23, 24).
- Ask God to give you a clean heart and new and right spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26; Psalm 51:10).
- Ask God to fill you with His Spirit. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit, and the Spirit provides the ability and power to love one another.
- Ask God to fill your heart with love and give you the desire, capacity, ability, and power to love one another.
How can we show it to others?
Remember that love is a choice and not merely a feeling. Also, remember that love is an action verb. God’s Word tells us not to merely love with words, but with actions (1 John 3:18). And because God looks at us through lenses of love, ask Him for the ability to look at others through His eyes. Ask God to show you how to love others as He loves you.
Each day, God calls us to:
- Treat everyone with respect.
- Treat others the way you want to be treated. (Matthew 7: 12—The Golden Rule).
- Show compassion to others even if you have not experienced the way they live.
- Be willing to listen to people in order to acknowledge that you hear what they say even if you disagree with their views.
And we can pray for:
- family, relatives, and friends.
- a specific neighbor when you walk by their house.
- someone you see while you are out walking, shopping, or eating.
And we can send an encouraging word to:
- a family member.
- a friend.
- a neighbor.
- a co-worker
- a person you are thankful for and tell them why.
And we can do acts of kindness, such as:
- volunteer for a non-profit that serves the community.
- participate in a food drive.
- invite a neighbor over for dinner.
- pay for someone’s coffee, lunch, or groceries.
- run an errand for someone.
- send flowers to someone.
- donate clothes to a charity.
- ask your neighbor if there is anything you can do to help.
And every morning after you wake up, ask God to reveal one thing that you can do today to show love to another person!