Love Devotion

This is a devotion I wrote for a 'women's thing' at church.

Unfortunately (or maybe not) I didn't get to give it  as I missed the 'thing' ;)

So I decided to blog it :)

1John 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:8  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

What does that mean to you?

What is Christian love?

Who are we to love? Only each other? Only the perfect?

How do we show that love?

How are we to respond to one another in Christian love?

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

This often is used in marriage ceremonies to describe the love between a man & a woman but what about the love between Christians? Or the love of Christians for those around them? Believers or not? Lovable or not?

Paul first describes all of the many gifts he could have: prophecy, great faith, great charity but without love it is nothing.

As Christians we are often described as ‘haters’. We are ‘intolerant’. We are sexist & hypocritical.

We preach one way to heaven. Women cannot be preachers. Homosexuality is a sin. These are all true Biblical principles. But what about tattoos or piercings or immodest dress? What about drug addicts or homeless folks or just unlovable people?

Do we show everyone we meet love?

This doesn’t mean we have to hug & kiss everyone we meet. Or even to bring them into our lives & homes although if you can these are awesome ministries.

But what about just smiling? Smiling as you push your cart through the grocery store. Smiling as you pump gas? Smiling at the fussy children & the tired cranky parents in the line ahead of you? Smiling at the pierced, tattooed, dirty, scary looking teenager you pass on the sidewalk?

I have lived my whole life in very small rural areas. This area is by far the largest & most diverse area our family has ever lived. And I have noticed that not a lot of people smile. In a small town more folks smile. More folks wave as they drive by. Nobody waves here. But my husband & I have purposed to continue to wave & maybe someday somebody will wave back.

I have purposed to smile. All through the crowded grocery store I try to remember to smile. To catch someone’s eye & just smile. It is a simple way to love someone. Have you ever been in a hurry, maybe not the greatest day & some simple act of kindness helped make things a little better? As Christian women I feel this is one of our callings. To show that the difference Jesus has made in our lives is our ability to love.

I don’t always succeed. I am sure many times I have looked on others without love. But I make it a point to try.

Smile. Say something nice to someone. Be the friendly, cheerful person to go through the checkout line. Smile at babies & small children & their mamas. Even if they don’t smile back. And most children always do! It is the easiest way to get some love your way!

So I encourage you to start out this new year with the purpose of love in your hearts. The purpose to be seen & noticed for the love of Christ shining through you in your expressions & actions. We can all do it. A smile costs us nothing. Young & old alike can share a smile. Rich & poor can share a smile.

I encourage you to let the world know that love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

 Blessings.