I love you, no, I really do! I know we’ve never met, but I love you!
The Bible says that we are to love everyone. It states we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 19:19; Galatians 5:14) and to love your enemy. (Matthew 5:43-48) So, there it is. I love you!
I know that it may sound a little silly coming from someone you have never met or only know through my writing. Have you ever felt like we use the word “love” a little too much? Let’s take a moment to look at how we use the word “love”.
We use it with family. I love you, mom and dad. Sometimes we even tell our siblings we love them, and it’s genuine, yet in the next sentence, we are stating how much we love pizza and soda. We have told people we barely know how much we love them. The truth of the matter is that we way overuse the word “love” and forget to show the action of what love means and looks like.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 shows us just how important it is to share through action and not solely rely on a feeling. I know this is true through two different ways; the first one is through life with my husband. I know that in the 20 years that we have been married, there are times when I haven’t felt love for him, and I know he would say the same about me. Yet we still show love to one another just as Christ shows love to us each day. The other way I know is through God; He didn’t just tell us He loves us. He demonstrated it hugely by sending His Son to die on the cross for you and me (John 3:16). Jesus demonstrated what real love looked like when He gave his life for you and me. (1 John 3:16)
Let’s take a closer look at some ways that love is more than a feeling. It is an action for us to share with not only our friends and family, but with everyone. 1 Corinthians states:
Love is patient. This is with our children who are driving us crazy going “mom, mom, mom” until we answer even though we are on the phone. It also deals with the driver in front of us who is doing 20mph when the speed limit is 45.
Love is being kind to everyone, not just to those who are kind to you. It’s being kind to that neighbor who is extremely inconsiderate at two am blaring his music, or the homeless guy on the corner that is always asking for something.
Love is not jealous. Yep, I said it. I know sometimes this one’s so hard. We are to rejoice with those around us and be happy for them even when we don’t want to be, even when the co-worker next to you gets the promotion and has been with the company half the time you have been.
Love doesn’t brag (or boast) about how great things are for their wonderful son who is just so gifted in sports and their daughter who is so musically inclined. She knows five different instruments and has a voice of an angel, and did I mention she has never taken a lesson a day in her life. My kids are so fantastic look at all they have done!
Love looks to help others and not be selfish or hurtful to anyone. It keeps the confidence of a friend and doesn’t gossip about that friend.
Love is about being your best in all things, enduring all things together no matter what the path looks like, through the good and the bad.
It is only through the act of love that we can teach others and grow ourselves. It is through the act of love that we can introduce and bring people to Jesus. The greatest gift that we can give to those around us is the act of love. (John 13:35)
Remember that through love we can conquer all things, endure all things. Because love never fails.