And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Love is the quintessential
characteristic of the Kingdom
of God
It's a fantastic thing that God
doesn't leave us alone to struggle with the challenge to love in our own
strength, but the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
Who is given to us by God (Romans 5:5)! We are commanded to love as Christ
loves, and to forgive because Christ loves and forgives us, and we the power to
do those things dwells in us.
To be sure, there will be many
offenses, slights, hurts, and attacks that are sent our way by the enemy of our
souls. These are meant to plant a seed of bitterness and mistrust in our
hearts which makes us withhold love, and we can become cold to others without
even realizing it. But God trusts us with these trials to give us the
opportunity to forgive and love, just as He has done for us. When we pass
the test of loving those who hurt us, we are perfected in His love, and we are
light of the world we're called to be.
So be encouraged. Go back to
that person or situation which the Spirit has already brought to your
mind. Confess the sin of cold love, and be cleansed and strengthened to
love again by the power of the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord will
flood your soul, and you will be set free once again to do the perfect will of
your Father and to love your neighbor as yourself!
Love and perfect peace,
Eric
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