If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love!
In the days leading up to Valentine's Day, let's remember the real meaning of true love (
1 John 4:8-12) and not dilute it with the many sappy expressions of limited human love we see this time of year. Without our motivations centered on expressing love, all "Christian" activities are more motion and commotion than true love. True love is the expression of Christ's sacrificial character and presence in our lives through deeds of love offered to others (
1 John 3:16-18). Let's refuse to get lost in the annual trip down sentimentality lane. Too many of us forget the needed daily dose of love that so often gets lost in the grit of day-to-day relationships. Let's be loving year-round, showing ourselves to be Jesus' true disciples (
John 13:34-35).
Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for demonstrating your love for us in Jesus. Help us to love as Jesus did - selflessly, sacrificially, and consistently so others may know of your love through our actions and not just our words. In Jesus name, and to love as he has loved us, we pray. Amen.
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