And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
If it weren’t for love, most songwriters would be out of business. From “All I Need Is Love,” to “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” and “I Love You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” no topic has dominated the popular culture like love. But so far, no one has written a song entitled “Love Is a Commandment.”
We think of love as a mood, a feeling, a sentiment, an attitude, and a passion; and rightly so, for love may contain some or all of those emotions. But at its essence, love is the selfless commitment of putting the needs of others before one’s own wishes or welfare. It’s a choice we make and a command we obey. It’s the opposite of offended pride, bitterness, selfishness, rudeness, and egocentricity.
Perhaps the greatest barometer of love is kindness, so we should always be asking ourselves, “What have I done for someone else today?”
The Bible says, “Love . . . is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4), and spiritual maturity comes as we realize that love is a command that results in a never-ceasing stream of kindness toward others. As someone once said, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
Love is the giving of oneself to another.
David Jeremiah
