Thursday; February 25

Love one another! It is pretty straightforward. Jesus command it, the apostles defined it and God demands it. Enough said!
Well, while the concept of love should be this simple, have you ever noticed how difficult it can be? Sometimes we ignore the commands and other times we try to argue the validity of someone’s claim of love. Yet, there is another trap when it comes to love – faking it. Okay, I realize that, by definition, there is no such thing as faux love, but it can be tempting to merely “pretend” to love someone. We act like we care about people … we sound like we support people … we try to make others believe we want the best for people – but what we really want is to get our own way. In essence, we talk about love, but we walk in self-centeredness. Interestingly, the Bible challenges this type of pseudo love when Paul warns, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9). The only love that is love is when it is real – when we truly care about other people. Love isn’t an act; it is an action.
Are we really, truly loving other people? Are we graciously giving to them? Are we rooting for them – even when it might cost us a victory? Let’s care enough about the people around us that we present the real deal. Most people can tell the difference; but for sure, God can tell what his honest and what is hypocritical.
Think About It!

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