Living the Fruit of the Spirit: Love

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

(John 4:7 NRSVue).

Did you know that Christianity is the only religion based on love? While others are rooted in concepts we hold in common, such as letting go of the ego (Buddhism) and ethics (Hinduism), Christianity, alone, holds love to be our reason for being. As Richard J. Foster puts it in his book, Life with God, “Jesus founded on earth a new type of community, and in it and through him, love. God-given agape love came down to live with power on earth. Now it is this God-given agape love that transforms our lives and gives us true spiritual substance as persons.”

While Paul’s mission was to establish the Church with Christ as its head, his message was based on love: love for God, love for us, and love for others. Foster calls this “The First Corinthians 13 Test: ‘If I… understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing (Cor. 13:2). And so the test of whether or not we have really gotten the point of the Bible would then be the quality of love that we show.” That’s quite a statement!

As Christians we know without question that God’s love never leaves us; that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Yet, given the world we live in, and our ego’s pull to pick and choose how we want God to love us, whom to love, and how to love ourselves and others, we struggle. However, if we allow it, God’s love will melt our hearts and resistance. No wonder it is considered the greatest Fruit of the Spirit. For Love teaches us how to use the other Fruit in God’s service.

As we celebrate February, the month of love, let’s keep the greatest love of all in mind.

Karen Kaigler-Walker
President, FUMCFW UMW