Love

"Our world desperately needs to be loved.

At the close of World War II an American soldier was on sentry duty on the outskirts of London
on Christmas morning. Later in the day, as he walked to the city with a few other GI's, he came to an old grey building with a sign: 'QUEEN
ANNE'S ORPHANAGE.' To see what sort of Christmas party might be going on inside, the soldiers knocked on the door. An attendant told them that all the children in the orphanage had lost their parents in the London bombings. The soldiers went inside, and seeing no tree, no decorations, and no gifts, they gave out as gifts whatever they had in their pockets - a stick of gum, a coin, a stubby pencil. One soldier saw a boy standing alone in a corner. He went to him and asked, 'My little man, what do you want?' Turning his face up to the soldier, the little boy answered, 'Please, sir, I want to be loved.' That's our world - in desperate need of love. God loves it and wants to love it through us."

How is it that we as the Church fall short of our mandate to reach out to others in love? Certainly, it is not because the Scriptures are lacking in instruction for the Word of God tells us to

"love one another"(John 13:34),

"owe no man any thing, but to love one another"(Romans 13:8), "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us"(Ephesians 5:2),

"above all things have fervent charity among yourselves"(1 Peter 4:8),

or having hearts that are "knit together in love" with all other believers(Colossians 2:2).

However, Colossians 3 does offer some insight as to what may hinder our loving others. Verse 14 of this same chapter tells us, "And above all things put on charity..." The idea of putting on an outer garment over others as a mark of distinction is depicted here. The Apostle Paul said, "And above all these things." What things is he referring to? As the elect of God, all believers are to put on compassion towards the miserable, kindness towards our friends, humility towards those above us, meekness towards those who have injured us, and longsuffering towards those who provoke us.

We are to forbear with each other's deficiencies and forgive each other's injuries. The question is - Have we put on all these virtues? Are
we walking in all these graces? Then upon all or over all these graces we are to clothe ourselves with the outer garment of love which serves as a girdle binding all the other pieces together as one.

We must not overlook one thing - just as we are instructed to "put on" certain virtues, we are in the first place instructed to "put
off" all evil characteristics, habits, and behavior. In Colossians 3:8 Paul urges us to "put off" anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication out of our mouth which would surely include lying to our neighbor.

In Colossians 3:2 Paul commands all believers to order their thoughts aright - "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Then in verse 5 he commands the mortification of our flesh which, unless crucified, would give way to such sins such as "fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

What the Apostle Paul seems to intimate here in Colossians 3 is that a mind centered on the wrong things - the works of the flesh, and evil attitudes, characteristics, and words along with the failure to walk in the aforementioned Christian graces - will hinder the believer from walking in love, which is the uniting principle of all moral and spiritual perfection. Love is likened unto the ligaments which hold the members of the body together. Even so, as already mentioned, love holds together all the other virtues and graces which build us up unto perfection.

Our opening story said that we live in a world in desperate need of love. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:12, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." How can we ever reach out to a world so despondent and in need of love when our love has waxed cold because of sin or disobedience in our lives?

God loves the world and wants to love it through us. Perhaps we need to meditate on Colossians 3 and then cry out to God as King David did -

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Palm 139:23-24

Then and only then will be able to hear the cry of a world so despairing and despondent for lack of love -
"Please, sir...Please, ma'am...I want to be loved."

May God Bless His Word.
Connie

Connie Giordano
P. O. Box 383016
Duncanville, TX. 75138-3016