February 2004
Love is in the air...
The month of February brings with it romantic notions of 'love': cupid and his arrows, of candy, flowers, cards and gifts being exchanged between loved ones & wannabes across the globe.
It's not really surprising that in our consumerist and conditional world, people have a warped idea of love. Fornication and adultery in various degrees surrounds us everywhere.
The Truth is this; Love comes from God (1 John 4:7). St. Paul gives us a beautiful definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking , it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Wouldn't you give everything to have someone love you perfectly like that?
I bet everyone would say a resounding 'YES!!' to that one! And yet there are so many who shun God. To shut out God from our lives is to shut out love from it, because God is love (1 John 4:8). Without a true and meaningful relationship with God, we cannot say that we love anyone or anything. Without knowing Him who is Love, how can we love?
And if we truly know Him who is Love, then it naturally follows that we must love everyone, just as He loves us. Easier said than done.
I challenge you in this month of Love, to love those whom you rather hate or perhaps - ironically - harder still, to love those whom you rather ignore. To take the time to see the person who is your maid, your doorman, your taxi driver. And to love him as God has loved you - with an everlasting and un-conditional love.
Not a love based on wealth, looks, education, status, color or creed.
Make a list of all those people you find hard to love: be they family members, ex-friends, neighbours, superiors, sub-ordinates or even old forgotten enemies.
Make a new resolution , through the Grace of God, by His strength:
- To be patient, kind, protective, trusting & hopeful.
- To not be proud or rude or self-seeking or easily angered.
- To wipe out all records of wrong.
- To pray for each one to be filled with the Holy Spirit fruit of love.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1 John 4:11-12)
Have a Love-Filled February!
From my heart to yours,
February 2004
