Do You Bear This Fruit?

Understanding True Love

God has been emphasizing a word to me we quite often share with one another without much thought. Love or the “L” word is more easily said than expressed.

Definitions

Oxford American Dictionary defines love as deep affection; admiration.

Yahoo Education defines it as a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship.

However, the definition I favor most was written in the bible by Paul. He says,

“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 13:4-8a, NIV).”

Love is a fruit of the spirit God challenges us to walk in (Galatians 5:22-25). Is this a fruit you bear?

Paul’s Explanation

In chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks about the utilization of spiritual gifts.

He begins the 13th chapter by stating, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Paul spends this time explaining the importance of love. We sometimes rely on spiritual gifts and works in hopes it will get and keep us in right standing with God alone. However, love must be present.

Paul’s examples of his gifts without love are amazing to me. He first compares the absence of love with being a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. These are both really annoying sounds, especially when the sound is repetitive. Do you think God may be annoyed by your tongues and consistency of refusal to love your neighbor?

Paul secondly compares the lack of love with being nothing. He completely dismisses himself as a person. How is it that we can prophecy and move mountains, but avoid loving?

Lastly, Paul compares the absence of love with gaining nothing. The eternal life we sing and talk about gaining will not be ours if we do not learn to love one another.

Why Write an Article like this?

Recently, God has brought to my attention the challenges I have with loving others and myself. I, too, become caught in the manifestation of my spiritual gifts and works. Slowly, I lose my desire to exercise the fruit of the spirit I thought was driving me to do what I did. If you are not being driven by love to do what you do, you may be driven by a spirit of haughtiness (pride), or even jealousy.

Haughtiness may be telling you to do what you do in order to receive the credit. Jealousy could motivate you to do great works only to “out do” someone else. These are both spirits which contradict God’s spirit of love.

Love My Enemies Too?

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus states, “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (NIV).”

Conclusion

Those who strive to be perfect in character, maturity, holiness, and love will one day be perfect as our Father is perfect. I challenge you as I challenge myself to spend the rest of your days truly loving yourself as well as others. May the love of God be with you always…