Such love
has no fear, because perfect love
expels all fear. If we are
afraid, it is for fear of
punishment, and this shows that we have not
fully experienced his perfect love.
“People don’t care how much you know until they know
how much you care.” That is an old
saying packet with truth. I would equate
the word ‘care’ with the word ‘love’. I
have also been told and learned that when you really love, authentically love,
people will be drawn to you, and their lives will be changed.
But the love thing is difficult because the world and
the leader of this world, our enemy Satan, has perverted and twisted the
meaning of love. It has been cheapened
and lost it’s impact, but when we realize what unconditional love is, things
change.
Young people think they know what love is. Often called puppy love and said to be
untested, that love is the fluffy here today and gone tomorrow kind of
thing. I have heard others say that
until you have kids or grandkids of your own you have a hard time really
understanding love.
Jesus depicted the love of God for us in living color
by going to the cross for us. There He
took our sin. There He marked our debt
paid in full all because the love of God was poured out as a once for all kind
of sacrifice. We need, this world needs,
people all around us need the authentic and powerful love that God gives us.
What is love?
Love is
patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its
own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about
injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy
and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless.
But love will last forever!
Those verses and the
verse at the top were highlighted in my mom’s Bible. As I flipped through the pages of her Bible
preparing for her funeral I noticed that many or maybe the majority of the
verses highlighted in her Bible were about love. What made that come home even more is that
when mom would get a new Bible she would go through the new one to highlight
the things that are most important to her.
Love matters. Love goes beyond everything else. The Bible says that love covers all kinds of
things. Love gets rid of fear. Love changes our minds and gives us
courage. Love is a big deal.
My mom taught me how
to love. The biggest thing I would like
to convey about my mom’s love, this is confirmed by both my brothers, is that
my mom always showed up and accepted us no matter what.
I want to love like
that. I want to love like my mom loved
me. I want to love even more like God
has shown and given His love to me and to so many others.
May you know that
love and give it away!
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