WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOVE LIKE GOD DOES?

Before reading this devotion I want you to ponder this question: What is love and how do I show it?

There are so many ways to love one another. There’s romantic love, there’s familial love, there’s sisterhood and brotherhood, there’s friendship and so many more types of love. But what does it mean to truly love a person? We are called by the Lord to love others but in what way? Surely we cannot love everyone in the same way as we do our parents, friends or significant others. And in some instances it is very challenging, especially when it is someone whom we’ve grown to dislike or someone who is unkind to us.

The Lord calls us to love, not only with our feelings, but also with our actions.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told that love is patience and it is kind. Love neither envies nor boasts. Love does not dishonor, is not selfish or easily angered. Love never fails. Through movies, TV shows and books we are told that love is the strongest force of all. However, these depictions of love only focus on the emotional aspect of it. We can not rely on feelings alone because just as easily as we can fall into love, we can fall out of it. That is why we must choose to love. We must choose to share our love through being kind and patient. We must choose humility and selflessness in times of trouble because we are called to be loving to the Lord’s children. God chooses to love us no matter the emotions we may make him feel. He made the choice to give us unconditional love: a love that doesn’t depend on our character, because just like everyone else, we mess up. Because of his love, we have the opportunity to bring that love to others, so that they may experience Him through us.

So, I want to encourage you all to love one another, not only emotionally but through your actions and your words. And when times become troubling and the choice seems difficult remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love never fails”.

- Naia