“What’s Love Got to do With It?”
Good morning. I want to first say happy birthday to my mother. She has been a blessing to me for as long as I know. It is often hard to know what to get her on her because she is picky…so I just decided that the best gift any child can give their mother is the gift of living a life pleasing God and walking according to your calling and potential. As I was thinking of what to talk about this morning…I was taking my son to football practice and there was a song playing by The Tommie’s Reunion called “Love Never Dies.”
As I heard the lyrics to this song, my mind started to think about what love really does. The song says love endures all things, hopes all things, believes all things, love never dies. I started thinking about all of the problems that we have with one another, and I believe that it starts with the lack of LOVE. If I love someone, with agape love, phileo love or eros love, then it drives my relationship with other people and my patience to endure with people. Love should be intentional. Love should not just be ONE WAY. Love considers the other person.
If I say that I love you then I cannot throw you away when there is a disagreement or a situation of misunderstanding. I think too many of us don’t know how to love the way God loves us. We want to receive love, but do we know how to give love? That’s why in scripture Jesus says if you love me then you should love your neighbor yourself.
I think the problem we have with loving others is that we don’t love ourselves. God showed us and continues to show us what love looks like. Like the song says, it hopes all things, endures all things, love never dies. Look at what Paul tells the church in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.”
So essentially, If I apply love to every situation of my life then I can make it through any heartache, turmoil, frustration, disappointment, hurt or misunderstanding. When I need God the most…Love is what lets me know that He is always there. I was raised on the hymn that says, “Love lifted me…When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!”
Tina Turner had a hit out entitled, “What’s Love Got to do with it?” My response is EVERYTHING!
Love must be the catalytic converter for our lives. A catalytic converter is a device that uses a catalyst to convert three harmful compounds in car exhaust into harmless compounds. The same way it does a car, LOVE converts harmful compounds in our lives into harmless compounds that won’t affect us.
Can we be intentional with loving others? Can we seek to help and not hurt? Can we love even when people don’t want to be loved? Can we appreciate the love that God has for us and apply that same love principle to others in our lives? Can we love even when people act unlovable?
God loves you and there is not a thing you can do about it! I have applied this principle to my life of loving people no matter what. It has helped me get through certain situations in my life freeing myself from the bondage of hate, disappointment, hurt, lies, abuse and turmoil. I just keep being intentional with my love and God shows me how love never dies!
I love each of you and God bless you this day!