I had an uncle who told everyone he met “I love you”.  He was sincere and felt that we often don’t tell those close to us that we love them.  In reality, we should love everyone we meet.  God loves everyone in the world so much that He sent Jesus to the earth.  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  God even has love for those who do evil.  Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”  God makes His sun to rise on the evil as well as the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.  God is spoken of as love. 1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”  As God is love, we too should live our lives with love. What would it look like if we lived our lives with love?

Let us first consider what it looks like to live without love.  Such a life is selfish.  One living without love for others thinks of himself and doesn’t consider what others think or need or what negative impact his unloving actions may have on others.  His life is often filled with animosity or hatred for others.  If he suffers wrong, he will seek revenge.  When the apostle Paul listed the works of the flesh, most of these works are a result of living a life without love.  Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  I think we can conclude that living a life without love is totally contrary to what God desires.

So what does God desire from us since He wants us to live our lives with love? To me, the first characteristic of living a life of love is that our thoughts are for the other person rather than ourselves.  What do they want? What do they need? 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the chapter of love.  It expresses it this way: love “does not seek its own.”  Love seeks the good of the person loved or seeks to please the person loved. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  When we love Jesus, we will do what He wants us to do; we will seek to please him.  It is the same principle demonstrated by a couple “in love”; they will try to please each other by the things they say and do for each other.  So when we love another person, we will seek to please them or do what is good for them.

When we love another, we will be patient with them.  The love chapter says that love “suffers long”. It is not one offense and done.  When we are disappointed with the person we love, we don’t quickly give up on them. To be long suffering implies to me that we may suffer disappointment a long time and still love.  For a marriage to last and not end in divorce, there must be long suffering or patience.  The husband and wife of a marriage each have their flaws.  Each partner must be patient and long suffering and perhaps overlook the failings of the other.  In the same way, we must be patient and long suffering with others that we love.

When we love another, we must be merciful and willing to forgive them.  God loves us and is willing to forgive us.  Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  Since God loves us and is willing to forgive us, we should love each other and forgive as well.  We should not hold bitterness and resentment to someone if we love them.

When we love another, we will be kind to them.  The love chapter simply states that love “is kind”.  Ephesians 4:32 also tells us to “be kind to one another”.  To be kind is to be generous, helpful, and thinking about the other person’s feelings.  It is to show grace, mercy, benevolence, and service.  The opposite of kindness is to show attitudes that lack empathy, warmth, or consideration for the well-being of another.  We should love others by being kind to them.

How can we love our enemies?  How can we love those who are against us and hurt us?  Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” To love our enemies does not mean that we like the bad things that they do to us.  We have to love them as souls that are hurting and as individuals that are precious in the sight of God.  Luke 6:35-36 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” When we love our enemies, we will be like our Father in heaven who is kind and merciful to the unthankful and evil.

How do you know if someone loves you?  They show it by their actions.  There is a sister in the church who always greets us with warmth and a big hug.  I feel loved by her.  It doesn’t have to always be a greeting and a hug, but we should demonstrate our love by our actions.  1 John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

I encourage you to live your life with love.  Love your neighbor; love your brother and sister in Christ. Love your spouse, your children and your parents. Love your enemies.  Consider their needs and how to please and serve them. Pray for them. Be patient and longsuffering. Be merciful and forgiving.  And be kind.  Let others know by your actions that you love them.