Love

For the past several months the LORD has placed on my heart "love." what is this word and what should it mean to me? I started digging into the Word looking and longing for love. I came accross 1 John 4:20 and it says, "If someone says, "I love GOD," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love GOD, whom we cannot see?" When reading this I myself was convicted and challenged on to love those who I do not love. But another thought came to mind, what does it look like to love? I sat there and prayed and thought about the the Bible and GOD and HIS love for us. Thinking I realized love started at the creation. Without the love of GOD and HIM wanting to pour HIS love into us there would have been no life. We see the love of GOD in the story of Abraham and the promise HE gave and fullfilled with HIS son JESUS. We see the ultimate love with the sacrafice of HIS only begotton son so that we sinners could once again have life. Love is all through out the Bible from the beggining of time and through all eternity. I had one more question, what does love look like in my own life? I was lead to 1st Corinthians 13:4-7  and it says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I changed out the word love and substituted my name into it and WOW was I blown to see I was far from loving. I came to one conclution. . . love is not about me! DUH? But seriously love, real love is truly sacraficing you own personal desires, wants, needs to insure your brother and sister are growing and getting the love they need! All I have to say now is I have a lot of growing I have to do. Blessings!
IN HIM,
STEVEN