I have written about love more than any other subject. That is because it is who God is and it is who we should be as His sons and daughters. Have you ever noticed that a lot of love songs could also be worship songs when applied to our relationship with God? I saw a quote recently that read, “I love you not just because of who you are, but because of who I am when I’m with you.” I’m sure it was originally used in a more romantic context, but that summarizes my feelings about my Lord. I am a better, more loving person with His Holy Spirit dwelling in my heart.
Have you had a soul mate that made you a better, more loving person because of your close relationship with them? I had that privilege for over 50 years and it still lingers with me to this very day. That was because we were involved in a love triangle. Not the kind you may think. We were both Christians when we met and we vowed from the beginning to include God in our marriage and our love for each other. Our mutual love for Him made us even more loving to each other.
The English language is so confusing at times because we assign many meanings to the same word. Love is one of those words. When we like something a lot, we say we love it. We love our parents and family members, but it is a different love than the intimate love we feel for our spouse. As followers of Christ, we are told to love and care for our neighbor. Then we are told that our neighbor can be someone outside of our circle or community; even our enemy.
Getting back to the quote; have you ever felt like a better, more loving person yourself, because of who you are with at the time? Have you ever made someone else a better, more loving person because you were with them? I can honestly answer yes to both questions and I can assure you that both of those situations are extremely rewarding. We need to continually look for ways to use love and encouragement to improve the lives of others. We also need to be responsive to the love and encouragement others offer us. It will make the world a better place – one person at a time beginning with you and me.