“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 ESV
The story goes like this:
An emperor was tricked into believing he was gifted the most beautiful clothes in all the land. No one was allowed to see them until they were finished. On the big day the emperor donned the new clothes and strutted his way through the town. He thought his new clothes elevated his status and showed how great he was.
Yeah, he was naked.
He thought he was all good, but he really wasn’t.
Conviction time: How often do we think we’re being love, but we’re really not?
Ouch, this one pains me a bit.
So the big question is, how do we ensure that we love others by how we live?
By Being Right With God
- In my faith – how does the state of my faith impact my love for others? (Habakkuk 2:4)
- Being in the Spirit: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 ESV
- Remember, the fruit of the Spirit is love. . . (Galatians 5:22-23)
By Loving Authentically
- “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9 ESV
- “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ESV (Love is how we treat people, not what we do for them.)
- “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 ESV
By Being Super Intentional About It
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:17-18 ESV
- What happens in my heart impacts my outward behavior
- “Reason frankly”. . . yeah, I need to do this intentionally, because it doesn’t just happen
- “In your anger, do not sin.” Ephesians 4:26 NIV
- Don’t hold grudges -that’s on me, not on them
- Who is my neighbor? How do I love someone as myself if I don’t love myself? How do I love myself in a non-prideful way? And down the rabbit hole I go.
“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” 1 John 3:11 ESV
I find myself needing to think about intentionality when I encounter someone I don’t want to show love to. Several years ago I had a colleague I would say was hard for me to love. And yet, I remember the moment when I heard, “I made Him, too.” Aww man, that stopped me in my tracks and made me “be love” intentionally. Because trust me, it wouldn’t have happened without intentionality.
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 ESV
Pause
Reflect
The introvert in me often ponders this question: How can I be love if I don’t regularly interact with people?
Listen
