SOME THOUGHTS ON LOVE

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about Love and what examples that God has left for us to follow and learn from in the Bible.

Of course, many of us can say that there are people in our lives that we love. We love our spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends; but do we really LOVE like we are supposed to?

Let’s take a look at what the Bible teaches us about love.

In I Corinthians 16:14, we read, “Let all your things be done with charity.” (love) (KJV)

We are commanded to love in I John 4: 7 and 8. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (KJV)

Love is of God. God is love.
After all, no greater love has ever been known than the love that has been shown to each of us by God!
He gave his own Son to die on the cross, for us!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (KJV)

We can never understand that Love fully here on earth, but God has given us His example to follow and we should strive to love as He does.

In Ephesians 5:25, the Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” (KJV)

Mark 12:31 states that we are to love our neighbor. “…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (KJV)

In Luke 6:35, we are told to even love our enemies! “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great…” (KJV)

When I think about how I should love, I find it easy of course to have love for my family and my friends, but my enemies????
That is not as easy to imagine.

I think of how children love. I have three children, two boys and a girl. Two of them are grown and married already! They are all precious to me and I have so many wonderful memories of when they were little. When they were young, I tried to take them to visit some of the elderly members of our church. Naturally, this is not always “fun” to little children. I remember though, that one of my boys was always happy to visit. He wouldn’t shy away from them. Instead, he would run into their arms and hug them and smile so big! As a matter of fact, one of his favorite friends back then, was an elderly gentleman that only had one arm. It was as if my little boy didn’t notice such things as age, handicaps or wealth.
He just loved as a child.

The Bible says in Luke 18: 17, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” (KJV)

We must love like God if we want to have a home in Heaven one day.
We need to put away all prejudice, favoritism and grudges and love everyone as God has loved us.

I Corinthians 13:13 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (love) (KJV)

Kitty Hackney @ http://ahappyheart3.blogspot.com/