Love. What a four letter word! We have given many meetings to the word.
It can be an intense feeling of deep affection. “My beautiful bride fills me with feelings of love”
It can be a deep romantic attachment to someone. “I am in love with her”
It can be an affectionate greeting or a way to end a phone call. “I love you, buh bye”
It can be used, and often overused, to show great interest or pleasure in something. “I love baseball, America, and apple pie”
It can be used to describe a person. “She is the love of my life”
It is even a measurement of zero – in tennis (and some other sports). I am not sure why and have always found this a little strange.
But, I believe the most important and valuable use of the word is when it is a verb. When we don’t just use the word to describe, but actually put it in motion. It is one of the few human activities where the action is done by one person toward another person and both people feel the same fulfillment. I believe this feeling is a direct result of the Spirit in us. Living out The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) ignites a fire inside of us that warms the soul and in that moment, nothing else matters. When we love others, we are following God’s command, which is a form of worship and praise. And this feeling of fulfillment is one of the benefits of praising the Lord our God (Psalms 103:2).
One of the best ways to love, is to do good and share with others (Hebrews 13:16). A simple selfless act, for the sole benefit of someone else. Or an encouraging word to a stranger. Or a sign of appreciation for someone that may be going unnoticed. Or a warm hug when someone is hurting. Or an open ear for a troubled friend. The options are endless. But they always require a selfless act and another person.
Imagine a world where each of us did this daily. If we were intentional about putting love in action in our daily lives and interactions with others, there would be far less conflict, violence, hurt and evil in this world. Many of you are thinking, “this would be easy to do if everyone else did it.” Each of us has to pull our weight for all of us to do anything (Galatians 6:5). It has to start somewhere. Control what you can. Control your actions and response. Let love start with you today. And stay with it. Much like planting a seed in the soil, you will not see a plant sprout from the ground right away. But if you stay diligent with providing the right amount of water, consistently, you will start to see it grow.
If you are already there. If you are already spreading your love for God and others, then I challenge you to dig deeper. Love deeper (1 Peter 4:8). Forgive that person that you never thought you could. Help the person that caused you pain or broke your heart. Expand your reach, leave your comfort zone, stretch your love. There is always more need for love, and against popular opinion – the source of love within you never runs dry. There is an infinite amount, in fact, the more you use the more He provides. Do not hoard it. It is given to you for you to give to others. Just do it.
Dadvotionals 