The Power of Love

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
~Hebrews 10:24

Why love?

#1. It is the greatest commandment

Matt. 22:35-40

#2. It is the greatest of all spiritual virtues

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
~1 Corinthians 13:13

#3. It never fails

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
~1 Corinthians 13:8

Prompted, executed, and sustained by love

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
~1 Thessalonians 1:3

If our labors – that is,  efforts, activities, and their likes – are not prompted by love they are worthless before God; they won’t last.

If you choose to walk in the love of God, you will be His agent of healing and transformation, as we see Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. Nowhere do we see the transformational power of love as much as in Lazarus’ resurrection. That miracle was prompted, executed, and sustained by love.

When Lazarus fell sick, his sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” They knew that Jesus loved them. People can sense your love for them in their hearts and usually respond to it without even knowing why.

Then, John records that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” When Jesus stood in front of Lazarus tomb and wept, the Jews said, “See how he love him!”

You see, true love is difficult to hide. It is palpable; people can feel it and literally touch it. Jesus brought Lazarus back to life through the power of love. When we love others, we can actually give life to them. Love brings dead things back to love. It livens up everything it comes in contact with. All of Jesus’ actions in the resurrection of Lazarus were prompted’ by love, executed by love, and sustained by love. You too can be a divine agent of healing and transformation if you can choose to walk in the love of God.

The tragedy of clogged healing channels

One of the reasons we don’t see as much healing and miracles in our world as we should, is that the healing channels are clogged. People – you and I – are God’s healing channels; not necessarily by laying hands on the sick, or even consciously praying for others, but through the nature of our relationships with them, and our attitude towards them.

‘She touched me…’

All human ills are rooted in the spirit and flow through the mind. So, to heal the body, the spirit and mind must be touched and healed; and love is the only thing that can reach our hearts. This is why it is God’s greatest command to His children, as well as Jesus’ only one. When we love, we heal; and when we love, we are healed. Let your consciousness shift from the quest for blessings, to the acknowledgement of blessings already possessed, so you can begin to fruitfully seize all available means of sharing those blessings.

What is love?

There was a time in my life that I felt so cold inside. I had no feelings for anyone. Being a Christian – and an evangelist then – I was worried. I knew that my Christianity and ministry meant nothing if I didn’t have love. When I went to God with it, He taught me that His love is not a feeling; it is not an emotion. People usually think of love in terms of emotions, sentiments, and feelings. While those may be involved, they are not essential to God’s love.

#1. Love is a Person: God

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
~1 John 4:8

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
~1 John 4:16

Ponder on this: You are the temple of God, and God dwells in you, Thus, since God is love, you are the temple of love, and that love dwells in you. Isn’t it amazing?

#2. Love is a nature: God’s

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
~1 John 4:7

Love is not just the identity of God; it is also His nature. If you are born of God, you are His child and a partaker of His nature. Thus, if the Father is love, His Children will be love too.

You are a child of love. You have the nature of love.

You are love.

#3. Love is obedience to God’s word

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him".
~John 14:21

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"
~1 John 5:3

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
~2 John 1:6

Love is being obedient to God’s words with regards to others. This means to relate with others, and treat them not as we feel they deserve to be treated, but as God has commanded. In other words, your response to your brother should never be in accordance with his behavior or attitude, but rather in obedience to God’s word regarding him.

How To Love

#1. Receive God’s love.

You can’t give Him if you don’t have Him. He has already released His love in Jesus.

When you receive Jesus Christ into your heart, He gives you God’s love nature.

#2. Meditate on God’s word to become thoroughly acquainted with His commands

When you become immersed in the Scriptures, and consequently well versed in God’s commandments, you know what to do to others in any situation.

#3. Do good to others

We usually equate love with doing good to others. This is in line with the scriptures.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
~1 John 3:17-18

Let me quickly point out, however, that it is not absolutely true that doing good to others – as in charitable giving – means that we love them. According to the scriptures, it is possible to give to the poor without love.

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
~1 Corinthians 13:3

How could someone give all he possesses to the poor without love? This may be hard to conceive. From the verse above, however, we must note that it is probable.

The point here is that good deeds are merely expressions of love, not it’s essence. Love is ultimately higher than your visible deeds. He is a person. It is your ultimate nature.

Love Declarations

I am love.

I have love.

I can love.

I choose to love.

I will love.