Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
What a beautiful day! I am so thankful to God for all of the people He has placed in my life to love, especially my husband and two daughters. They are my greatest treasures on this earth!!
Today I was thinking about the word “love” and all of the connotations it can have. This concept stood out to me the most:
I don’t believe a person can truly experience the full depth of what love is, until you move beyond the idea of love as an emotion, and into the reality that it is actually a verb.
Love pours itself out to others.
Love forgives.
Love believes and looks for the best in others.
Love soothes the hurts and pain this life can bring.
Love steps in when no one else does.
Love comforts a grieving heart.
Love gives without anticipating anything else in return.
Love sacrifices self.
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Jesus set the example of love as an action word. His whole life is a demonstration of the way to love others and the Bible is filled with His instructions.
Love pours itself out to others.
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Heb 6:10; NIV emphasis mine)
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10: NIV emphasis mine)
Love forgives.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, and forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32, emphasis mine)
Love believes and looks for the best in others.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:7, ESV, emphasis mine)
Love soothes the hurts and pain this life can bring.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV emphasis mine)
Love steps in when no one else does.
The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. (Proverbs: 22:9, emphasis mine)
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13, emphasis mine)
Love comforts a grieving heart.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Cor 1:3-4, CSB, emphasis mine)
Love gives without anticipating anything else in return.
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42, NIV, emphasis mine)
Love sacrifices self.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2, ESV, emphasis mine)
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13. ESV, emphasis mine)
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What about you? How do you demonstrate love to those around you? I did not begin to fully demonstrate the full depth of my love for others until I gave my heart, my life, and my will to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The transformation of my heart, to love fully the way Christ does, began that day and it continues as we speak. It is a choice I make every day– to live a life fully committed to the action of love in my life and to serve the Father who died on the cross to demonstrate His love for me.
All the glory to God,
Shanon
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Image of “The greatest thing I have ever done…” by http://www.facebook.comJesus lifestyle.
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