The Greatest of These
Can you imagine opening your front door and seeing this for Valentine’s Day?!
So fun!! Receiving this unexpected gift spoke volumes to me. Without them even realizing it, this is what they did for me:
They communicated their love. A simple, heartfelt I love you can go a long way. You would not imagine the number of people who grow up never hearing or very rarely hearing these words. Someone can know in their head that you love them, but you need to tell them if you want them to believe it in their heart.
They showed their love. 1 John 3:18 says, “Let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.” Love is a verb. It does something. It requires action. Communicating your love is a great beginning. Continuously showing your love will help you to finish strong and have a great ending.
They met a need. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. Supplying our needs is one of the many ways God shows His love for us, and we should do the same for others.
They were generous. They didn’t just get me a pack of TP, they got me a case! I didn’t ask for it. I wasn’t expecting it. They just chose to generously pour out their love in a way that was exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ask, imagine or think.
They were relevant. A gift of TP might have seemed a little weird before last year, but this year it is the best gift ever (that and a can of Lysol)! It acknowledged and addressed my current day situation. If you’re still trying to show love to someone the way they needed it to be shown ten years ago, it might not be as enthusiastically received today as it was back then. Never stop getting to know the ones you love. Then, you will always be able to show them love in a way that is well received.
They expected nothing in return. They didn’t ask me for anything. They didn’t even wait for a thank you. Why? Because they didn’t do it for them – they did it for me – which greatly amplified their expression of love.
We are called to love because God is love. Take notice of all the ways He loves you and choose to mimic that expression of love towards those around you. It might not always be about a present. Many times, it might simply be about your presence. Whatever the case, lavish it on freely, because the greatest of these is love!
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