Love With The Spirit

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV Bible)


I’m not sure how to draw “love” on paper. I have felt loved, and have loved. But, those are feelings. When I look at this drawing it makes me feel love because of the colors; the inviting green leaves, the warmth of the red fruit, the shining streaks of orange, and the gentle coolness of the blue shades. The red ribbon, for me, symbolizes the Spirit pulling us all together in the spirit of the love of Christ Jesus, who first loved us. When I ask friends which of my many designs is their favorite, more times than not this design is chosen. When I ask why this design, usually I am told they like it because of the bright colors and they find it inviting and pleasant to study.

In Luke 10:27, it is written: “He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" I find myself really okay with the first part, but to be honest I have to say the second part is not always very easy. Paul wrote in Romans 13:10; “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” And behind all this is Deuteronomy 6:5; “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Scripture is clear. Why do we have so much trouble following it?

One of my favorite Bible verses is Micah 6:8. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Do you know the thirty year old hymn, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love?” It really goes hand-in-hand with Micah 6:8. For example some of the phrases are; we are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord; we will work with each other, we will work side by side; we will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand; and they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Wow! Talk about behavioral guidelines! Imagine a marketplace in which everyone lived like Jesus! As you go out into the marketplace, keep this in your thoughts - the evidence of the Lord Jesus is in us - now do what he commanded us to do; go out and tell people about Jesus while behaving as Jesus would expect of you.