Hello Kathryn,

I hope that you are doing well and that you had a great Valentine’s Day. This year my children bought me roses. I was so surprised I almost cried. My son signed the card himself and said, “thank you Mom for all that you do for me.” Let me just say they had one up on my husband!

On Valentine’s Day and every other day, we should express love to the world. In scripture we are commanded to love. John 13:34 tells us “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Many of us think that love is optional, or we have a choice in the matter. But if we love God, we are to love each other. It is a command not a suggestion.

Love seems easy when the person is loveable. But when the person is unlovable, and we do not “feel” like loving them, that is where disobedience can occur. Our bible study group has covered 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 over the past twelve weeks. We have learned that love is not based on a feeling. Love is an action. Feelings are a direct consequence of that love action. So, we have to love whether we feel like it or not. We have to obey God whether we feel like it or not. It is easier to act our way into a feeling rather than feel our way into an action.

It is amazing when God is trying to teach us to love, He will send unlovable people our way to develop within us an ability to love. The only way that we can love the unlovable is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us produces the fruit of the Spirit which is love.

There are two parts to love. A human part and the divine part. The human part is found is 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. We are to suffer long and to be kind. We are to not envy or be proud or selfish. We are to not rejoice in iniquity but rejoice in the truth. We are to bear, believe, hope, and endure all things. But the only way we can love through “ALL” things is by the Holy Spirit producing the fruits of the Spirit within us.

In the great words of one of my favorite pastors, “If you find yourself loving people only because you have to, then you don’t love them at all.” If we love God, we are to love each other. Yes, that includes those that are hard to love. I had to repent of my hard feelings toward a difficult person to love. If you find loving to be difficult, join me in repentance and ask for forgiveness. Ask the Holy Spirit to do a work in you just like I did.

With God all things are possible.

Until next time,