“Just love.” “All we need is love.” How often we have heard these phrases, but, how do we do this? Is it natural human love that accomplishes this, or is it God’s love? How do you get that love? How do you truly display God’s love?
I hope that everyone who reads this has experienced true love, the love that comes only from our Lord. But, if not, let’s seek together how to obtain this love.
Scripture tells us that “God is love.”
1 John 4:8 – “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” KJV
1 John 4:16 – “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” KJV
That perfect love had to give. God’s love was so great for humanity — for you and me — He had to give His very best gift, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Right there is a key. If we truly have God’s love it motivates us to give our best. However, we must first receive His love. This is where all of us have to begin.
It starts with repenting of our sins, receiving Jesus as our Savior, giving our lives to be used by Him. Then as we walk through this journey of life we all experience irritations, anger or disappointments with loved ones. Obstacles hit us and our responses often are not loving.
As we take accountability for our lack of love toward others and ourselves, it becomes apparent that we need a greater of amount of God’s love. There is no end to His supply of whatever we need and so it is with His love.
God always has more for His people. Without God’s loving nature, none of us would be here. Friend, have you ever considered because of God you were born. At one time you were just a thought in God’s mind and He loved the thought of you so much that He created you. He kept you safe in your mother’s womb until the time you came forth and here you are now.
Many of us carry hurts, betrayals and deep wounds inflicted by those who claimed to love us. There is only One whose love is perfect and who will never stop loving you. God promises to never leave or forsake you. How can you not return your love to the One True Lover of us all?
How do we grow in love? Start by asking God to increase your capacity to receive His love. Allow love to rule everything you do. Increase your love walk by asking the Lord for more compassion for other people.
Be brutally honest with yourself and God! Is love lacking in your relationships, your viewpoint of people in general, or even the perception of yourself? When we submit to God’s heart and view about issues, we think differently and respond differently.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 – “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.” (KJV).
Would you like to be loved more and give more love? You can become more loving. Let’s determine to increase our love walk. The more of God’s love we receive, the more we have to give. By turning to God’s Word and having a willingness to learn, your love walk will increase.
Ask the Father to teach you how to walk in His love and experience victory in all areas. Make it a daily habit to forgive anyone who has hurt or offended you. Pray fervently for that person who offended you.
What does God say about love? There are several types of love that are mentioned in the Bible, but the one we are referring to today is the God-kind of love. There are many scriptures referring to love and some are:
1 John 4:7 – “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (KJV)
1 John 4:12 — If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” KJV
What are the characteristics of true love and how can we identify it? There is a Biblical guide which we can refer to and judge ourselves. God’s Word is the absolute filter to measure your love walk.
I Corinthians 13:1-4 is known as the Love Chapter:
1–“IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2–And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).
3–Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor] in providing food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.
4–Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5–It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6–It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7–Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
8–Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
9–For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).
10–But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).
11–When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
12–For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].
13–And so faith, hope, love abide [faith — conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope — joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love — true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (Amplified)
Years ago I struggled with the description of this love as I so wanted to honor the Lord and walk in love. I felt so inadequate and falling so short of this guideline. How could anyone fulfill everything described in these verses? Then the Lord shared with me this was His love being described. The Only One who completely fulfills all aspects of perfect love consistently is our God. However, with His love in us we are to live our life (with God’s help) as close to this standard as humanly possible.
