Ask anyone what their favorite fruit is and you will probably get that many different answers. Grapes (I prefer the seedless kind). Watermelon. Bing cherries (one of my favorites). Cantaloupe. Oranges. The list seems endless.
Ask people about the fruit of the Spirit and many, if not most, can name the first one: LOVE.
Jason Clark, in his book Prone to Love writes: “Love is the beginning and the end, and everything in between, and everything before and everything after. Love is infinite, immeasurable. Love is complete. Love is the answer, not the question. Love is always good.” (pp.29-30)
Joel Manby, in his book Love Works writes: “Leading with love is counterintuitive in today’s business environment because it turns many so-called leadership principles upside-down.” (p.12)
What is this thing called love? That is another word which will get a ton of different answers. As you might have guessed, my sermon this week is on the first fruit of the Spirit mentioned: LOVE.
A lot can be said about love. Some of it good; some of it bad. Not that love is bad, but the way “love” is displayed can cause a person to raise eyebrows. I hope to give a good perspective on love this coming Sunday. I’d appreciate your prayers as we take a breather from Paul’s talk about grace and justification by faith, and talk about qualities each of us should seek to develop and exhibit.
Thanks ahead of time for your prayers. By the way, how would you define love?
Love is never having to say your sorry … O.K. so that is not an original line (smiles). I will be praying for you in my morning devotionals.
I think love is certainly an innate emotion in all human beings as it facilitates the survival instincts of the species. I think it can be seen in many other species for the same reason.
I don’t think it has anything to do with invisible spirits or one religious theory or another. I think the potential is as I said is innate to our species. It is a natural condition that doesn’t require a supernatural explanation.
Joel Manby”s statements is confusing because he has proven the opposite in the businesses he has lead. And he is definitely not alone in understanding a culture of respect etc. from the top down is a key ingredient in highly successful businesses. Although I do agree it is not the norm in most businesses, as the dog eat dog approach is probably more popular.
Have a great weekend and don’t forget to eat your fruit and your vegetables.
Not really a definition, but I always think about our human capacity to love because God first loved us. Without Him, no love would even exist.
Blessings, Bill! Prayers for you!