It seems the week of love is upon us! Those red and pink padded cards on the top shelf, that are the height of our four year old, have been looming there since mid January. As well as the little red chocolate hearts and tiny teddies at the end of each supermarket aisle. I find myself rolling my eyes as I do the grocery shop. I’m just not a fan of the St. Valentine’s Parade. Maybe I’m just too much of a cynic for all the soppy sentiments!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of love! I love my husband Marcus very much. But when I read the inside of some of those cards, I can’t help but feel that they are painting a picture for us of love that is all messed up and rarely depicts what real love is like.
Real love for me is a choice. It’s a choice I make every single day. It’s a choice that I need to pray into every single day, for my husband, for my children, for my friends, for my church family. You know why? Because loving is hard. Real love can be tough going and it can cause pain. Homework time with our 6 year old yesterday showcased this perfectly!
Jesus talked a lot about how to love. It wasn’t the cute puppy type or picnics in a summer meadow. It was radical and controversial and if you are a follower of Him, then the love He calls us to will stretch us.
The words of Romans 12:9-18 are a reminder to me of how often I fall short in my love.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (ESV)
What a challenge as I look at how I love those around me everyday. Do I love in order to get love in return? Do I love because I think it makes me look good? Or do I love because I seek to serve with no agenda? I am so thankful that I am not on my own as I try to love the way Jesus wants me to but that the Holy Spirit is with me as I struggle with love. That He pricks my conscious when I am selfish and want my own way, or when I choose my own comfort above the needs of others. He patiently whispers to my soul about the One who loved right to the death and in death so I could experience real, sacrificial love.
A verse that I think on and pray often is Colossians 3:14 where it says to ‘put on love.’ I love the imagery of this verse. That love, His love, is something that I need to clothe myself in everyday. It has to be as practical as zipping up my coat and wrapping my scarf.
Put on love.
Now I’d buy that card.
