The Power of Love

In the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible, “love” is mentioned 686 times. This is compared to “kindness” mentioned 126 times, “patience” appears 32 times, and “hospitality” appears 20 times. Love is also included in the two greatest commandments, to love God and love your neighbor. Now, we should not always measure the importance of something by how many times the Bible mentions it, but we do get a sense of its significance from how often God includes it in His Word. 

Where can one find the energy and the heart to give so much love? By the end of the day, you have probably greeted those you live with, interacted with the barista at your coffee stop, put on a happy face at school or work, made small talk with that acquaintance in the hallway, exchanged pleasantries with the cashier at the grocery store, called the doctor’s office back, caught up with your people over dinner, and fell into bed exhausted. 

According to 1 John 4:8, God is love. When we abide in Him, God’s love for us gives us a heart to love others. His Spirit dwells within believers and fuels us with a desire to pour out love upon those we encounter. And even when days may be too long or filled with too many to-dos, we have the capacity through the Holy Spirit to love others well and to love them regardless of our circumstances; This kind of love is anything but artificial or shallow. When we love out of the overflow of God’s love for us, we are empowered to see others as God sees them, to have the bandwidth for kindness and selflessness that can truly make a lasting impact on the people around us from the barista to our dear friends. 

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God, thank You for Your love for us! May Your rich and selfless love overflow from my heart into the relationships and encounters I have with others. May I love others well, and may that kindness and compassion point them back to You. Amen.