Each Monday on the Pure Purpose blog, I feature This Week’s 7, a simple list about an everyday topic, giving you ideas and encouragement. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, when love is expressed among many people. What if we expanded the love communicated on Valentine’s Day to express God’s love more completely instead of picking and choosing the feel-good stuff over the tough accountability and discipline of life? What if we chose to live out God’s love, which isn’t easy to do at times, instead of picking out a card to say what we feel (or think we should feel). Let the following challenge you today.
God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
God’s love is active. Is yours?
But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us. Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
God’s love is trustworthy. Is yours?
Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God’s child and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
God’s love is the source of our love. Are you relying on God or trusting yourself?
You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.” But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don’t know God are nice to their friends. (Mathew 5:43-47)
God’s love has no limits. What about yours?
No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches. (Matthew 6:24)
God’s love assumes priorities and choices. What are you choosing?
One of the teachers of the law came and heard Jesus arguing with the Sadducees. Seeing that Jesus gave good answers to their questions, he asked Jesus, “Which of the commands is most important?” Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'” (Mark 12:28-30)
God’s love is not one way. Are you loving God?
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
How are you living biblical love out loud today?