Fruit of the Spirit

Love

Love

noun. 1warm liking or affection for a person, affectionate devotion. 2God's benevolence towards mankind

Whenever I think of God, I immediately think 'Love', and vice-versa. It wasn't always this way. I used to despise God, and I never would've dreamed one day I would be sitting here writing a book about Him. But He works in the most amazing ways. For me, He showed me His love through my next door neighbours, who are now my family through Christ. They loved me, even when they didn't know me. And to this day, when I tell them how blessed I was that they moved next door, they just tell me it was God's work. And it really was.

I have always struggled with love. I'm constantly terrified of falling in love, and in the past few months of patching up my relationship with God, I've realised that love shouldn't be a scary thing. It shouldn't be doubted, or feared. It should be a beautiful thing. God blesses us so much through His love for us, and His love for us is so strong, because He is love, just like it says in 1 John 4:16;

'We know how much God loves us, and we have put trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love, live in God, and God lives in them.'

To me that speaks volumes. Because before reading this passage, I never realised why I was afraid to talk to God, ask for His forgiveness, ask for His love to wash over me and cleanse me. But after reading this, I realised it was because I had put my trust in Him. And that is the hardest thing for anyone to do. No matter how young, how old, what race, religion or sex. It is so hard to trust in someone 100%, when the only proof of their existence is a 4,000 year old book. And that is also why it is so amazing. Because He shows you through the little things. The prayers that change lives, the moments when bad situations are averted, the moments when you show others who have never even heard the name Jesus before how much He loves them, and those moments when you feel God's presence in the room with you. It's these moments that show me His love.

And it's hard sometimes, trying to love people. In Matthew 5:43 – 48 it says;

'43"You have heard the law that says: 'Love your friends, and hate your enemy.' But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 44In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on both the just and the unjust alike. 46If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collector do that much. 47If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48But you are to be perfect, as your Father is perfect"'

Now, when I read this, I started thinking to myself, so what? I have to love murderers, rapists, people who kill Christians, people who are racist? But as soon as I thought that, my mind flitted to another memory verse from John 13:34 – 35 that reads,

'43"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."'

and that's when I realised, Jesus, God and The Holy Spirit, they all see us as equals. We are no different from one another. We have all sinned, and Jesus still loved us. He loved us so much he was willing to die on the cross, just so we could be forgiven. And it was then that I realised, that to live my life to the fullest under the control of God, I needed to forgive and forget. Don't allow yourself to get back into that position again, but wipe their slate clean of their sin towards you, just as God does.

After reading through these verses as well, I started thinking more and more about how Jesus didn't come here to preach at us, talk at us, and tell us what to do. He came to tell God's message to us, he came to talk with us, and most importantly, He came to love us, and show us God's unconditional love for each and every one of us. He came to heal, to bless, to share, and to love. And as followers of God, followers of Christ, we need to be doing that as well. We don't need to push anyone into anything – we just need to plant the seed, by loving them, and showing them God's love, and then we need to pray, and let God do the rest. And if you do pray for someone, and they go to thank you, explain to them that it wasn't you, it was God, you were just the messenger, relaying the message to them. And that is our part.