Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – I John 4:11
REFERENCE
I John 4:7-12
Many people are disillusioned by the word, ‘love,’ it is as though it is dead and buried. Many have been taken advantage of by people who claimed to love them, many have been heartbroken, abandoned and deserted by people who vowed to love them, and many use the word carelessly to manipulate and get what they want at a particular time. So several people have concluded that LOVE IS DEAD!
However, Scripture makes us understand that love is alive…at least, the God kind of love. We know it because God Himself first demonstrated that love to us and still shows us love. His love requires nothing from us, seeks nothing from us, extends mercy to the most undeserving and is constant – it can’t be reduced or increased. He has vowed to love us eternally through His Son Jesus Christ. God’s love forgives the offender, overlooks faults, strengthens the weak, helps the helpless, serves the unfortunate, gives to the one in need, encourages the broken and sacrifices for the object of its affection. It never takes but gives advantage.
Imagine if this love existed in every dating/courtship relationship. Can you visualize how it will look like if friends and siblings shared this kind of love? What if married couples understood this love? Do you know how this love will mark the parents-children relationship? What if governments and leaders led their people with this love? What if you pause right now, reappraise all your relationships, and introduce this kind of love into them all? LOVE WILL COME ALIVE!
Roses are awesome and gifts are heartwarming, but all becomes empty if the motivation of our hearts is anything other than the kind of love God has shown us. Valentine’s Day (for whatever it’s worth), should not be seen as just a day to ‘get,’ to watch to see how you will be treated, or to get romantically involved with your spouse (or anyone for that matter). It should be a day you check your heart to see if ‘this kind of love’ is alive within. If it is, then show it in sacrifice, in helping, in giving, in forgiving and in making it special for the one you love. I tell you, you will see LOVE ALIVE in all your relationships.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Hebrews 13:1, I Corinthians 13:3, & Philippians 2:1-8 (MSG)
TO DO
Go out of your way to do something that will touch someone with the God kind of love we talked about today.
