The Fruits of The Spirit: Love

"Love"

I honestly feel like the word and meaning of "love" has been manipulated, has been changed, has been mutated by society, by media, and by all of us. Just try google-ing "love", see what comes up. I just did, and the results were, hearts, a few inappropriate images here and there. What has love become?

God is love. That is how it all started.

⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:8

When we google love, the first image should be Christ. He has demonstrated love the most throughout EVERYTHING he has done, and the most important, the most significant, is his death on the cross. The ultimate sacrifice. Sacrifice best describes what love is. If you can give up something for someone, may it be time, a pencil, money, your effort and strength, thats already showing love. But Christ gave up the biggest thing he had, and everyone has, his life. For you. For me. For us.

¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13

Love. God created love because we as humans need it. We need attention, we need someone to love us. We want to be loved. We desire for it. Thats a reason why God created sex. It was meant to be shared as someone special between two people that have come together as one flesh. Saved just for the married, but thanks to media and society, its cool to have sex between anyone and everyone. I was just watching How I Met Your Mother, and i dont deny, its a great show, filled with humor, but sometimes i feel like it promotes sex. Barney, the womanizer in the show probably does it 3 times per show, its pretty crazy. Why does God only permit it to one person each?

a) its special: After having sex, you will have opened yourself up to someone like you never have before. If you break up with them, it will feel horrible, and you'll feel detached. Broken-hearted like never before.

b) for your own safety and health: If you have it with everyone, its easy to get STDs or even get someone/yourself pregnant.

There are many more reasons, but think it through before going on to do what you'd like.

Marriage. Look at today's society. Marriage has become something as simply as using a product. You like. You buy (marry). You dont like. You throw away (divorce). Celebrities you see, everyone getting divorced here and there, whats going on? My friend has even told me once, "really ________'s been dating for 3 months?" Its been SO LONG. 3 months is 90 days. That's nothing. If you're to get married, thats a lifetime. Society has completely changed our views on this four lettered word and what comes with it.

Love. Love others. Love friends. Love family. Love strangers. Through your actions and your words. Love doesnt have to be physical. You can simply show love by helping people out. You can show love in small things, people may not notice, but God does, and im sure the person will as well. It can be as small as stacking a chair for someone. You can give a gift, you can help and support them in their time of need. But love. LOVE OTHERS. Its so important. We all need it.

⁸Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8

Lastly, Love does great things. The famous verse about love;

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love covers all sin. Love forgives. Because of Christ's love, he died. Because of his death, we are forgiven. Love Others. Love Christ. Love Love Love is the greatest.

¹³So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

verse of the day: Proverbs 10:12

¹²Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.