Love, is a verb. We think its a feeling, and maybe it can be, in its lighter forms. But love, real love, is an action verb. Love is what sends flowers to a hurting friend, its what does laundry for an overwhelmed mom, its what cooks a meal for an overworked business partner, its what sees the needs around it and fills them. Love works out in a million tiny ways. From picking a nail up from a parking lot so that no drives or steps on it, to spending money you can't spare to meet a need someone else cant fill for themselves. Love, real love, sees past bad attitudes and sloppy clothes and smelly feet to the person that is inside that shell of a body. Love takes the time to truly listen to the hearts of others, to draw out of them what is going on inside. Love DOES. It does what Jesus would do.
There are some things that love does not do too. Love never judges. Love never condemns. There are times when love discerns a problem or a sin issue and the guilty party feels judged, but love never judges. Love never ignores pain. Sometimes we can't help physically. Sometimes we cant give to a certain situation. Sometimes we don't have the resources to help at the moment in time when help is needed. but we can pray! Love never turns a blind eye to the hurting of another human. Love never watches quietly while an elderly person struggles with a heavy door. Love does not ignore someone who has fallen. Not physically or spiritually. Love does not hear the words "I need to talk" and walk away. Love takes the time.
Love is the face and hands and feet of Jesus Christ. If we as Christians are not Love, then how will the world see Him? Certainly not through our preaching. Definitely not through our determination that they are bound for hell. Maybe not even through our pious concern for their souls. Hurting people need Jesus. Hurting people need Love. Hurting people need Christians who just take the time to notice, and do something about it. They need friends who look them in the eye and love them. The next time you see the chance to be His hands for someone, remember this, Love Does.
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