We are to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind. (Luke 10:27) God loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) by giving His only Son. (John 3:16) Love fulfills the law to love our neighbors as ourselves (Romans 13: 8-10) and we are to even love our enemies, not always easy. (Matt 5:44) Peter instructs us to respond to each other deeply, from the heart, (1 Peter 1:22) and John tell us that love is from God and you cannot know God if you do not know love. (1 John 4:7-8) John also tells us that perfect love casts out fear. (1John 4:18)
We learn in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, that love is patient, kind, it does not envy or boast, it is not proud nor does it dishonor others. It is not self-seeking, not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not rejoice in evil, but truth and protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres and does not fail.
Let your love be sincere and know that God is rich in mercy and has great love for all of you. (Eph. 2:4)
Psalm 118:1
Give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good;
His love endures forever.
Gratitude (prompts from aholyexperience.com)
3 Gifts found in community
1. Friends
2. Loyalty
3. Belonging
Phil 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.
Blessings, Deborah
This is certainly a more complete way to see love than the usual shallow way it is used in society. :-)
ReplyDeleteAmen, A.K.!
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