{"id":961,"date":"2023-03-28T20:38:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T20:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chministries.org\/?p=961"},"modified":"2024-05-17T15:05:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T20:05:56","slug":"fruit-of-the-spirit-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chministries.org\/blog\/fruit-of-the-spirit-love\/","title":{"rendered":"What does the Bible say about love?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bible verses about love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first fruit of the Holy Spirit is love [Galatians 5]. We see different types of love all around us. Maybe we\u2019ve been \u201cin love\u201d or felt parental love for a child. Or perhaps we\u2019ve felt the sting of the absence of love. At the core of our beings, our inherent desire is to love and be loved in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s love is a difficult concept for our human minds to understand, especially since the world\u2019s definition of love is so different from God\u2019s definition of love in the Bible. Even with the Greek (agap\u0113) and Hebrew (ahava) definitions, we could spend the rest of our lives uncovering the meaning of Godly love. The fruit of love must be at the center of what we say and do. We are wired to pursue and give love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the many forms of this love is agape or unconditional love. What does agape mean? Agape love is the highest form of love. It\u2019s self-sacrificial and pours out to others, regardless of whether or not they deserve it. It believes in the best and empowers us to live a life of undaunted courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many Christians are weighed down knowing that they struggle to love people whose philosophies, lifestyles, and behaviors are opposed to God. It can feel difficult to show love towards those who believe differently than us or who have hurt us. Or perhaps we can\u2019t forgive ourselves for what we\u2019ve done in the past. Regardless of the reason, we must admit that\u2014at some level\u2014we all struggle with love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\u2019 love is the only perfect example of love in action, as He is love itself. He created love, just the same as He created us. He embodies selfless giving, peace<\/a>, and kindness<\/a>. He is the blueprint for loving unconditionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more we draw near to Him, the more our hearts can hear the whispers of His truth. He understands the hurt in our lives. He knows and empathizes with us when we\u2019re feeling empty. In those moments, He asks us to come to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mark 12, Jesus says the first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second commandment, He said, is to \u201cLove your neighbor as yourself.\u201d We can\u2019t love others without first going to Christ as our ultimate source of true love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christian love in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When was the last time you tried loving unconditionally through your own strength? These attempts usually fall flat, and we\u2019re left realizing the depth to which we need God\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is a God of love, and He is faithful<\/a> to refresh our souls as we come to Him. Without drawing strength from Him, it\u2019s nearly impossible to show love to others. Christ died for us in the name of love. If He was willing to die for you\u2014and for your neighbor\u2014how willing must He be to listen to your concerns and give you the strength to love in every weakness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lean into the depths of His goodness <\/a>and divine love, knowing that He hears your heart. We were made to love, and God loves you more than you will ever know.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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God is the only perfect example of love, as God is love itself. He created love, just the same as He created us. He embodies selfless giving, peace, and kindness. He is love without conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to show someone you love them<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Love can be shown by speaking, doing, and acting. That\u2019s what CHM members do when they help others pay their medical bills, send cards and letters of encouragement, and pray for those who are sick or grieving. By doing those things, they\u2018re demonstrating and sharing their fruit of the Spirit: love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLittle children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth\u201d [1 John 3:18 ESV]. A \u201cdeed\u201d is an action. The truth is that the way to love in the Spirit is to be constantly moving toward Someone indescribably more powerful than ourselves: The Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s possible for Christians to love everyone, though not necessarily in the same way: We\u2019re going to love our spouses and our families differently than we do others. It\u2019s possible for Christians to love others because we love God. The closer we get to His nature, the more His nature and agape love\u2014unconditional love \u2014will shine in us, and the more we\u2019ll be able to love, in the light of His glory and grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
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Grow the Fruit of the Spirit by signing up for our FruitFULL e-book!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Created just for you, this book is full of resources to help you and your family cultivate closeness with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like you make sure to eat a balanced diet, make sure you learn to grow the \u201cgood fruit\u201d of the Holy Spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Your Devotional<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bible verses about love The first fruit of the Holy Spirit is love …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4871,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8],"class_list":{"0":"post-961","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-faith","9":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nLove: Fruit of the Spirit | Christian Healthcare Ministries<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Biblical love can be a difficult concept in the world we live in. Learn about the fruit of love and its meaning in God's eyes. 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