Let Us Love

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7

Hi friends! It's Valentine's Day. And to be honest, I've never really liked this "holiday." I have always thought that it's a made-up, "Hallmark" holiday just so people will spend money on each other. I mean, do we really need a holiday to show our love to each other? I hope not.

But personal feelings aside, I will take this day to talk about God's love and what receiving that love should encourage us to do. God's love is immeasurable. It's never-ending. It's active. It's Jesus hanging on the cross for every single one of us. 

There's a very familiar passage about love in 1 Corinthians:

• Verses 1-3: "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." What these verses are saying is that what we do is not eternally meaningful if it is not done in love. If we are just going through the motions, we need to stop and re-evaluate. God wants us lovingly serving others.
• Verses 4-8a, "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." When I read these verses, I see Christ's love through and through. It is an amazing love that we can strive for but only achieve through the Holy Spirit.

Since God loves us, we are called to love others. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He said this, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:37-39) God didn't tell us to judge others or tell them all the things they're doing wrong. He told us to love Him and to love others. This love seeks the highest good in the one loved. Our world needs love. Church, we are not doing a good job in loving others as Jesus loves us! I'm not saying we should condone sin. We shouldn't. But we are all sinners. And people will be more open to changing their lives and following Jesus when they're not put on the defensive, when they feel loved. Sinners were drawn to Jesus. Why? He certainly didn't condone their sin. But they felt His love. And that drew them in. Oh, that we might love like that.

Page details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: God is Love and Grunge Elements 3. It's a super simple page! I applied distress oxide ink to the page and spritzed it with water. The ink reacts to the water and lightens where the water droplets were. Then, I stamped the verse and images. Journaling pages don't have to be all involved. Simple is good too. Time with God is the best!

Have a blessed week! Andrea