Love makes the world go ‘round! As Christians we are called to “love one another.” That doesn’t just mean family members or brothers and sisters in Christ, it means EVERYONE! This is not an easy ask (command)! Our nature is to love those who are easy to love, the ones that fit nicely into our ideology of the “worthy to love.”

Love is one of the 9 characteristics (Fruit of the Spirit) that Christians should produce. This fruit should be visible, apparent through actions, attitudes, and words. If you go to the grocery store to buy fruit, such as apples or oranges, you recognize it when you see it. The love that Christ-followers produce should also be obvious. The world should recognize Christians by their fruit.

In order to show God’s love to others, we look to Him as our example. God’s love is unconditional. He demonstated this love by sending Christ to die for our sins while we were still sinners. It wasn’t based on anything we had done, it was freely offered. God’s love is sacrificial. He came to earth and died for us. That was a self-less act, one that caused great agony. However, Jesus suffered and died to make a way for us to be forgiven, a way for us to receive grace. God’s love is also continual! Paul wrote in Romans 8 that no THING, no BEING, no DISTANCE, no PAST, PRESENT, or FUTURE event, no POWER can separate us from God’s love. That is solid, continual, unwavering.

Loving unconditionally, sacrificially and continually is a tall order, no doubt! We can only strive to love as God loves through the power of the Holy Spirit. When a person accepts Jesus as Savior, God forgives them and also makes a deposit—Holy Spirit power—this is the real JUICE! It is by the power of the Holy Spirit working within each Christ-follower that the production of Spiritual Fruit is possible.

The Holy Sprit enables us to stop setting conditions for those we love. I’ll love you “if…”. We can learn to love others without analysing how it benefits us. Love isn’t love if it’s given to get something in return. We can also love continually. We don’t have to agree, affirm, or enable others in negative or sinful patterns, but we can continually let them know there is always a way back to God and love them until they find it!

Scriptures – Romans 12:2 (Phillips); Galatians 5:16-17 (NRSV); Galatians 5:22-23 (CEB); 1 Corinthians 13:13 (CEV); John 15:8 (CEB); Ephesians 2:4-5; John 15:13 (NIV); Romans 8:38-39 (NRSV); Matthew 22:37-40 (GNT)

Verse – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Ga 5:22-23) For now there are faith, hope and love. But of these three, the greatest is love. (1 Co 13:13) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ro 8:38-39)

Questions – What spiritual fruit do you easily produce? What fruit is most difficult? Do you set paraments that determine whom you will love? Does self-interest draw you into or away from some relationships? If the Holy Spirit is producing the fruit, why does it often seem so difficult?

Prayer – Dear God, your love has saved me, it sustains me, and it compels me to share with others so they can know the boundless love that you offer. Allow your love to flow through me. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.