Love: the first fruit of the Spirit. It’s such a small word, but it packs a powerful punch.
The word love appears fifty-seven times in the Gospel of John. It’s the heart of Christ’s commandment that we love one another.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”—John 13:34
This circle of love—God’s sacrifice of His own son to save the world because He loved (loves) the world—should be the heart of our existence.
In spite of the childish antics of the two-year-old in Love You Forever, written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw, his mother loves him with all her heart. As an adolescent he says bad words and never wants to take a bath. Nevertheless, his mother loves him with all her heart. The child grows into a weird teenager and eventually becomes an adult and finds a life of his own separate from his mother. She continues to love him with all her heart. In the end the wheel comes full circle, and the young man takes his mother in his arms and returns the same love sentiment to her she has given him his entire life.
God’s love for us is the same. No matter how much we cry or say bad words or rebel against His teachings, He loves us forever. We will always be His children. That’s what love is. It endures all things.
Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley share this simple, yet powerful, love from parent to child in their book My Arms Will Hold You Tight (illustrated by Anna Kubaszewska).
Amy Parker’s latest Night Night book (illustrated by Virginia Allyn) also reminds us of the source of this great love.
Hannah C. Hall helps us see this love everywhere we look in her new book That’s What Love Is (illustrated by Brendan Kearney).
Based on Paul’s “love chapter” of First Corinthians, this book provides a needed reminder of the importance of loving each other with patience, kindness, humility, forgiveness, and so many other attributes often lacking in the world today.
For example, a spotted fawn shares her cozy meadow house with a rabbit, mole, and mouse. A mother hen spreads her wings wide and safe to keep her chicks dry in her embrace. A sleepy cat forgives her kittens when they disturb her nap. The mama bear tells her cub, “God shows us, everywhere we look: the greatest thing is love.”
If I have not love, I am nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.–1 Corinthians 13:3-8
Like the child in Love You Forever, we are not perfect in our relationships with others. We are often rude, we get angry and frustrated, we sometimes give up. Only God possesses that true agape love. However, if we live by the Spirit as Paul instructs us in Galatians 5:22, we can nurture that love fruit and share it with others.
We can begin by allowing God’s arms to hold us tight. We can strengthen our relationship with Him by spending more time in prayer, by studying His word, and by being more God-centered and less self-centered. We can stay connected in person with our churches, if possible, or through phone calls, text messages, cards, and virtual gatherings. We can remind ourselves of Paul’s advice.
Before we speak, before we act, are we being patient? Are we being kind? Are we protecting, trusting, hoping, persevering?
We can do it. Let’s not give up.
Foster that first fruit of the spirit. Rock and read with your children. Wrap them in love as you say, “Night Night.” Help them to know God so they can truly know He’s what love is.
“Do everything in love.” –1 Corinthians 16:14
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No, not just for some, but for everyone.”—Hal David
“Love all, trust a few, and do wrong to none.”—Shakespeare
John 3:16; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:14; 1 Peter 4:8; Romans 12:10
