Love is one of the first words we learn as a child, along with Mommy, Daddy, and other loving words. I’m sure more songs have been written about love than any other word. But what exactly is love? The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
When I was 19, I began reading the Bible, and I remember being impressed by one verse in particular: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6 NIV). We all make mistakes, but we need to have faith and patience, and not let the mistakes of others prevent us from being able to love them.
As a wife and mother and co-worker, I’ve had to learn to forgive others for the wrong things they did to me, even for actions I suspected might have been intentional. This has helped me to better understand the heart of God, who is the supreme example of forgiveness, the manifestation of love. He knew that none of us could be good in our own strength, so He gave His only Son for our salvation.
I’ve also learned that prayer is a form of love. When I didn’t feel I could forgive someone, I discovered that I couldn’t feel resentment toward someone I was praying for. So, I would pray for them and trust God to give me the grace to forgive them.
Though our human love is limited and fails many times, I’ve found that God can help me love even someone who is getting on my nerves. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17).
Love is action, trust, forgiveness, and prayer. It is also kindness, understanding, caring, patience, and many other wonderful things. Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and He showed that our neighbor is anyone who needs our help, regardless of creed, color, nationality, or social status.
If you have not yet received Jesus as your Savior, you can do so by praying the following prayer:
Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died on the cross for me so that, through Your death and resurrection, I can live forever with You in heaven. I ask that You forgive my sins. I open the door of my heart to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me live in a way that glorifies You. Guide my life and help me to follow You. In Your name I pray. Amen.