We can see the wonder of God at work whenever we experience love. That’s because “God is love” (1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16). God’s true essence is love. While my children were growing up, they sometimes asked me where they could find evidence of God. I pointed them to love, challenging them to find situations where love was at work. Those situations reveal evidence of God, since God is the source of all love (1 John 4:7). Love makes God’s work tangible.
This month, when we celebrate Valentine’s Day, we may think about love more than we usually do. But maybe not, since love is as much a core need for us as it is a core part of God’s nature. Love is much more than a feeling. Love is an action, as I explain in this Crosswalk.com article. Whether or not we realize it, God is empowering us whenever we choose loving words and actions. God’s love flows through our lives in countless ways every day. That can happen in especially powerful ways when we ask the Holy Spirit to work with us, since love is one of the “fruit of the Spirit” that Galatians 5:22-23 mentions. Learn more about how to develop the fruit of the Spirit in Wake Up to Wonder, which includes two chapters on that.
Whenever we choose to love, we become vessels through which God’s love is manifested in the world. We not only notice wonder when that happens, we become part of it happening.
We can enjoy love in all its forms – not just romantic love or love between family and friends, but all the ways God’s love shows up in our lives. That includes kindness. Where I work at George Mason University, I serve on a committee for an initiative called “Mason Chooses Kindness.” We teach our community about the connections between kindness and well-being – for both givers and receivers – plan service events, and create resources to help people make intentional kindness a regular part of their lives. Simply being kind on purpose day by day is a powerful way to let God’s love flow through our lives.
So, this month and beyond, I hope you’ll exercise your power to love as often as possible. When you encounter a situation that lacks love, ask God what you can do to bring more love into it. You can make positive change happen in any situation by choosing loving words and actions. As you do, God’s love will flow through you. You’ll not only notice the wonder of God at work in your life, you’ll participate in God’s wonderful work yourself!
Blessings,
Whitney