Love

Here I go again. Expounding on a book written by Elizabeth George. This time the book is called "A Woman's Walk with God". She takes the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - and writes an entire chapter on each attribute.

One of the first sentences that I read really stepped on my toes. Okay. Make that a paragraph. It's taken off page 11.

"As you and I walk together through God's list of the fruit He deserves in our life, we'll look not only at their beauty and bounty but also at each individual fruit. But we must never forget that all nine fruit stand together: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control make up our walk with God. They are like a string of Christmas lights - there is one string with many lights that, when plugged into the electrical socket, all light up at once. However, if one bulb goes out, the entire string goes out. That's how God's fruit is borne in our lives. No one of them can be missing, and all must be evident to be God's fruit."

Ouch. Why is it that I forget that every single one of those must be present if I want to be a woman who lives completely for God?

It's actually very obvious. I already knew that I must have all of those active in my life all at the same time, but I tend to think that I can leave one out for a few hours and still be considered a woman of God.

Not true. So not true.

The first whole chapter is on love. That word is a frequent word in the Bible.

One whole chapter is devoted to it in fact. 1 Corinthians 13. 'Love' is a tall order.

Elizabeth George has a few principles listed to help the reader better understand what love really is.

1. Love is an act of the will. In other words I can choose to love or I can choose to not love. In the words of Dr. George Sweeting, "Love is work. It demans a continuous, twenty-four hour a day commitment." Only through God's grace can we have that kind of love for all around us.

2. Love is action - not just words. Everything I do during the day should be an act of love for my family. You know the cleaning I don't particularly enjoy? The cooking that isn't my very favorite, but must be done three times a day? The laundry that I truly do enjoy...especially when I can see it flapping in the breeze? Each of those are acts of love....IF I do it all with a smile on my face, that is.

3. Love reaches out to the unlovely. Pretty self-explanatory. It's so easy to show our love to those who are happy, content, etc., but send me a person who is whiny and grouchy with life in general and I have a tougher time showing much love. Why is that? Maybe because I think that if a person is just going to whine anyway I don't need to waste any time on them. Shame on me. It could be that the person who whines just simply needs someone to show them a little of God's love.

4. We need God to help us love. That's pretty obvious. Each and every morning I need to ask God to help me love. Help me love completely and help me love unconditionally. It's a struggle for me sometimes. I know that I am required to love my children even when they are doing the exact opposite of what I have asked of them. I know it's a sin to hold a grudge. And yet I find myself doing it anyway on occasion. There is no excuse. God loves me unconditionally and thus I must love others unconditionally....with HIS help.

5. Love expects nothing in return. Mmm-hmmm. Nothing. Just because I slave away in the kitchen for hours every day doesn't mean that my family should treat me any different. John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you." No if's, and's, or but's in that verse. Jesus says I must love everyone and so I must. He says nothing about expecting to get great accolades if I do as He commands.
(Bold print and italics taken directly from the book.)

Love is simply the sacrifice of self. (Definition from the book.) It takes time. It takes patience. It takes giving of myself even when I feel like there is absolutely nothing left to give. It takes a deep-rooted connection to the giver of love....Jesus Christ.

We'll end this little lecture to me with a list that is in the book, 'A Woman's Walk with God'.

1. Begin loving the people God puts in your path by first loving those people at home. As the saying goes, 'What you are at home is what you are!' So BE a woman who walks in God's love....at home.

2. Go to God throughout the day for a fresh supply of His love to share. At the first hint of waning love, look to the Lord of love.

3. Remember that your assignment is to serve (Galatians 5:13).

4. Remember Jesus, who "did not come to be served, but to SERVE, and to GIVE His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28, emphasis added).

There you have it. The first fruit of the spirit.

LOVE.

Let's step away from the computer and pass it on! :)