The Fruit of the Spirit: Love

Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. -Mary Oliver 

When I was a kid, we often ate Neapolitan ice cream. The kind with three flavors—strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. My dad and I would bring it home from the little store in our community (for anyone who lives near Lynchburg, Ohio—it’s where Terry’s Grocery is now) I even remember the individually wrapped versions we had for birthday parties. Do they still make those? Anyway, I’d scoop mine into a bowl, with all the flavors, and stir it until it melted together into a delicious creamy treat. 

In Colossians, Paul calls believers to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving to all people. When we melt and stir all of those virtues together, they result in love for other humans. 

Who needs kindness and compassion? Who needs patience and forgiveness? Who needs loved? Every. Single. Person.

God wants me to pay attention and notice other people’s needs. He calls me to love not just the folks who love me, but people I don’t even know, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they do.

He calls believers to meet those needs, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Is it easy? Not always. Sometimes loving people takes a lot of courage, prayer, and wisdom. As a child of God, He calls me to love Him and love people.

Let’s pour love into the world.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.