Fruit of the Spirit: Love
I can't help falling in love with you, you are my sunrise on the darkest day, all of me loves all of you, What makes the sunset? What makes the moonrise? Is it my love for you? I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes. I'm forever yours; forever yours; faithfully. Baby, I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world.
Any of these famous song lyrics sound familiar? It’s funny reading them smashed together like a hotchpotch, a mixed lyrical love song stew. This is what you would get if Elvis Presley, Justin Bieber, John Legend, Frank Sinatra, and Daddy Yankee were in a room together. An interesting picture to imagine right?
I share this with you because I love love songs. They are my favorite! And when I think of that four letter word I think of these songs.
What do you think of? What comes to your mind? Do you have a favorite love song? Or do you think back to your wedding day, your favorite candy or thing that you just love so much. Or maybe you start thinking about your friends and family that you have a deep love for. These are all good things!
Love is talked about so much. And we say it a lot. But when something gets repeated so much we can start to forget the strength and power of the word. The word doesn’t lose its value; we've just become so accustomed to hearing it that we begin to blow past it.
But today I want to tell you about a love that never runs dry, burns out, or ends. The love of Jesus is perfect love. I am honestly finding it hard right now as I write this, how to even put into words what it is, what it means for us, and what it can do. I have seen the love of Jesus melt the hardest of hearts, I have witnessed the love of Jesus captive a room of thousands of people, I have seen prodigal sons and daughters return to their loving Father again and again and again.
This love is not transactional. There isn’t anything we do to earn or deserve it. It is given freely and it is lavished on the children of God. This love is so deep that a man was willing to be beaten, broken, and buried so that all generations could receive forgiveness of sins and salvation. This man is Jesus and His love for you is real. 1 John 4:10 “This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin.”
Get this: It was His pain, for our good. You will not find a love like this anywhere else in the world. It is a well you can never drink enough from.
The love of Jesus is absolutely radical. It will invade all areas of your life but only if you let it. It is never forced. It is gentle and kind and His love is knocking at the door of your heart, let Him in!2
My question to you is how has His love changed your life? When was the last time you really thought about it? When was the last time you sat with the Lord and allowed Him to reveal to you the love He has for you?
Are you weary? Are you stressed? Are you anxious or sad? The love of Jesus covers that. The love of God, demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, is the spiritual meal that will nourish us and cause us to abide in Him. If the Son of God himself said, “Apart from the Father I can do nothing” (John 15:9). What makes us think we can?
I can tell you that my life is forever changed by the love of Jesus. There was a time when I was living in darkness. I was a christian but I didn’t know Jesus. Everything changed the day I truly met Him. I call myself a captive because I am absolutely captivated by His love for me. I like to wear a red beaded bracelet that has the word “love” spelled out in beads. Someone very special gave this to me, her name is Lauren Boss.
Lauren was my college roommate and one of my best friends for a few years before she passed in 2022. Lauren was one of the most joy-filled, funny, and excited Jesus followers I’ve ever met. She was someone when you got around her your faith sharpened and deepened.
There was a night in our college dorm where all 8 of us who are best friends and roommates got together, and Lauren handed out bracelets to each of us with a fruit of the spirit she thought we represented well. And I was so honored to receive love. And I can still remember what she told me when she gave me this bracelet several years ago. She said, “Emmy I’m giving you love because you do a good job of loving everyone, I don’t think you even look first. You just love whoever is in front of you.” And can I tell you that her words and this bracelet that’s worth dimes and cents to make has a priceless value. It is a badge of honor I get to wear.
I only knew Lauren for a few years but the impact she had on me will last the rest of my life. It takes one encounter with Jesus to change the rest of your life. This bracelet had value when she gave it to me then, but it has a greater value now because she is face to face with love himself. Love is a person, his name is Jesus.
And when Lauren died it was unexpected, fast, confusing, and it was extremely hard. And there are days when it still is hard. Lauren didn’t die for me, but I know someone who did. Jesus died for me so that I can live free. And so I have work to do. I try to love like Jesus and love like Lauren. I’m trying to make heaven crowded. And I need your help too. We don’t need one or two people doing it perfectly, we need everybody doing it imperfectly. So I shared with you a few of my favorite love songs earlier, but now I want so share with you one of my favorite Bible verses about love,
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 63 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.” What would happen if you put your first name where it says love? Joe is patient, Joe is kind…How far could you make it? I’ll be honest with you, I don't even make it past the first one. There is only one name that can fulfill all of these attributes. “4 Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy, Jesus does not boast, Jesus is not proud. 5 Jesus does not dishonor others, Jesus is not self-seeking, Jesus is not easily angered, Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 Jesus always protects, He always trusts, He always hopes, He always perseveres. 8 Jesus never fails.”
This is who love is. This is Jesus. This is our Savior! And He loves you so much! Rely on this truth and remember it. His love is never out of reach.
Lord, help us to live in love with you. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. Remind us to put on love as we love others throughout our day. I pray that when others encounter us they are also encountering the love of Jesus through us. Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross for us, teach us to also lay down our lives for you and for others.
We love you Jesus! Amen.
