What are your views on God’s love?

A survey was conducted among some 4- to 8-year-olds as to their “views on love.” The following would represent some answers they gave: “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving lotion and they go out and smell each other.”

We all have our ideas about love, but the best ones come from God. Paul in Romans 12:9-10 tells us that love is a matter of doing something. He says, “don’t just pretend you love someone. Really love them and have genuine affection.”

Someone said, “A bell is not a bell until you ring it. A song is not a song until you sing it. And love in your heart is not love until you give it away.” This says that love is active.

True love is kind (I Corinthians 13:4-5). As Christians we should be the nicest people in the neighborhood – in our work place, at the grocery store, or wherever we are as we move about among people every day.

Fredrick W. Faber said, “Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence or learning.”

We have always heard that actions speak louder than words.

Love is also giving. “For God so loved that He gave ...” (John 3:16). This is our motivation for giving. God loves and God gives. If we love, we will give. It is not always how much that we give, but that we do something to help. “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord and He will repay you” (Proverbs 19:17 NLT).

Love is kind, love is giving and love is forgiving (Galatians 6:1-2). Love is a builder of people. Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). The world should see our love for one another, instead of our grudges and criticism of each other. We should love, encourage, forgive and build up one another.

The world needs to see the Christ kind of love. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). God loves us in spite of our failures and faults. He did not just say “I love you,” but he demonstrated by “giving his son to die for us.”

Let us hear God’s challenge through Paul, when he says, “Don’t just pretend.  Really love them. Love each other with genuine affection” (Romans 12:9-10 NLT).  Demonstrate your love.