Friday, July 31, 2009

Wait Out the Days

"Often we speak about love as if it were a feeling. But if we wait for a feeling of love before loving, we may never learn to love well"- Henri Nouwen. The idea of love being an action is essential to the life of a believer. As human beings we want to be loved. To experience love we must attempt to love first. It is difficult and frustrating for me to find ways to portray love in some of my surroundings. Love can show up in the minuscule things of life. 1 Peter 4:8-9 says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." I remember this verse because of the difficulty of its command. Verse 9 uses the term grumbling which is the same word used to describe what the Israelites were doing when with Moses (Exodus 16:8). The Israelite people grumbled to a God that was giving them food to eat miraculously. This is just one example of how difficult it is to love at all times but at the same time is a great example of God breaking the rules of human love. God loves us even when we do not have the experience of loving Him first. This is true love, a love that makes us His beloved.

Love Each Other Deeply
Bear