“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
I Corinthians 13:13 NIV
My hands flew to my mouth, my breath caught in my throat, and tears sprang to my eyes. Standing in a little gift shop in Dillsboro, North Carolina, I was staring at a plaque that read, “I never knew how much love my heart could hold until somebody called me Grandma.” If you have grandchildren, I’m sure you will agree that a truer statement has never been made.
Love is a funny thing. It has to be given away in order to grow and multiply. Just like God gives us the measure of faith, He pours His very own love into our hearts and it’s up to us what we do with both—invest and get a return, or horde and become stagnant.
Many parents (and grandparents) worry while awaiting the birth of a second, third, or fourth child. They fear they can never love another child as much as they love the first. The truth is, when we finally see the next baby face-to-face and hold that tiny bundle in our arms, our hearts begin to overflow with love and we cannot imagine life without this new little person. Love just keeps on growing and spilling over.
Sometimes we can be selfish with what God gives us. We carefully pick and choose who to pour our love into. We act like there’s only so much love to go around and we need to ration it and strategically decide how to use it. That’s never God’s plan. Agape love (the love of God or the God-kind-of-love) values everyone as valuable and precious. It puts others first and is always giving. When we allow God to take up residence in us, that’s the kind of love He brings with Him—in abundance. We can keep it packed away, saving it for a “rainy day,” or we can draw from it moment-by-moment and live a life of peace, contentment and unspeakable joy.
The song says, “Love makes the world go ‘round.” The Bible says there is faith, hope and love, but the greatest, by far, is love. You may not think you have much to give, but you always have love. The more you give, the more you get back . . . and then some.
For God so loved that He gave . . .
So, what does He expect from us? Love extravagantly. Receive love gratefully. Love is what life is all about.
Love never fails. Try it—you won’t be disappointed.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Andrea Merrell is a freelance writer and editor with a passion to help others see God’s Word as practical and relevant for ordinary, everyday life. She has written material for ladies’ groups, marriage retreats, skits, websites, and brochures, and is currently working on three novels and countless devotions. Andrea is a staff writer and copy editor for www.ChristianDevotions.us and www.DevoKids.com, and lives in South Carolina with her husband (and best friend), Charlie. Visit her website at www.andreamerrell.com. Read Andrea’s devotions