pLove is up there in the vocab hall of fame. We sing, write, and make movies about it. Love’s a massive part of this world, probably because it’s who God is. That’s why we gravitate towards it, why we crave the feeling of cared-for-ness it brings. Experiencing love here-on-earth can help us understand more of God, and can make us act more like Him, putting others first, and dropping what we’re doing to help a stranger, friend, parent, or special someone. But the earth-version of love, like everything else that’s not God, isn’t perfect. Our love can disappoint. It can feel as though we put ourselves out only to be hurt. But God’s design is more than that. Real, put-others-before-yourself love is vitally important. Paul wrote, ‘If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal’ (1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV). Love extends beyond words. After all, what’s love without heartfelt action? Challenging as it is, it’s time to pray for the will to love everyone we meet. If you’ve been hurt in the past, we know that really is a big challenge. But when all’s said and done, when we act without putting others first, we’re just making a whole lot of noise. Jesus told us to love everyone as He loved us (John 13:34). That’s a tall order, but we reckon that, if He asked us to do it, He’ll show us how./p
pWhat now?br /
Who was the last person that you said ‘I love you’ to? Do something generous for them today. And who’s the person you’d never expect to say ‘I love you’ to? Do something generous for them today./p