There are a lot of four letter words flying loose from the lips of our society today. None of them that I’m thinking of are worthy of printing on this page. However, there is a four-letter word that all of us need to say and especially live by – the word is LOVE.
If you were to use one word that would best describe God, it would be love. If you were to depict one term for the act of a crucified Lord, it would be love. God is love and wants us to be like Him in this area.
If you want a better marriage, put more love into it. If you want a stronger relationship with your children, pour on the love. If the church is to be what God wants it to be, and if you want to imitate the church of the New Testament, add more love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The inspired Apostle Paul wrote, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” (I Corinthians 13:4-8). This was written to a church that had lots of problems. There were a lot of immature attitudes, a lot of strained relationships and other childish ways among the Corinthians. Paul’s cure is love.
I pray to God that He will help this congregation excel in love. I pray He will help you and me as individual Christians to mature more and more in love of Him and for each other as we desire to grow more like and closer to Christ.
…Mike