THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is love…...NLT

Love is the universal language. God is love, and He has instilled in every person the need to love and be loved. We use the term to describe our affections. We muddy the waters when we use it too often. We use it to describe our affections for objects, activities, what entertains us, animals, people, and God. We use it so freely that it becomes confusing as to where our true affections lie. What does the Apostle Paul mean when he says that the fruit of the Spirit is love?

Paul uses the highest form of love known to man, agape love. He describes it for us in I Cor. 13:4-8a. It is the love of God and the love we should aspire to live by with one another. In I John 4:7-10, John emphases the love of God and our need to be vessels of His love. Jesus emphasized the fact that loving others is not an option, it’s a command. John 15:12

It’s easy to love those who are lovable, but what about those who are unlovable? What about those who do not love us back? What about those who are mean-spirited and treat us awful? What about those who do us harm? We are to love them as well. But how is that possible? There are a few things we need to remember.

We can’t love others until we first know we are loved. We find in Christ the source and means to genuinely love. We learn through loving Him that we can love others and even ourselves. The more time we spend humbly before the Lord, the greater will be our capacity for love. God is love, and His supply of love never runs dry. One of our most basic needs is to feast on His love. When we are filled with God’s love, we understand that no one is beyond the scope and reach of God’s love. Jesus died for every person who has ever lived. John 3:16 How can we withhold love from those whom Jesus died for?

Love restores broken relationships. It is evidenced in our forgiving those who have wronged us or are doing wrong. It also is striving where it is possible to right the wrongs we have done to others. It is being gracious and compassionate to others. It is the norm for a true child of God.