40 Days of Love?

Dear friends: This weekend, we are kicking off a spiritual growth campaign in our church called "40 Days of Love." We believe this will be a great time of learning and growing together, but if you think about it, why just 40 days? God calls us to a lifetime and a lifestyle of love. In fact, one of the Scriptures that we promised to memorize and operate by for the days and weeks ahead is the New Living Bible translation of I Corinthians 16:14. That Scripture says, "Everything you do must be done with love."

Everything? That's right, everything! How about when the waiter messes up your order at the restaurant? How do you approach that? You guessed it - with love! And how about when your children blow it or don't live up to your expectations? Or how about the really difficult people in your life; how are you supposed to treat them? The Bible says with love, friends. "Everything you do must be done with love."

I admit this is really challenging. But Jesus asks all of us this question, "If you only love those who love you, what credit is that to you?" Luke 6:32. You see, it's easy to love those who love us and who treat us well. True love is much deeper than that. True love is a choice and a commitment; it is also an action and not just an emotion. Loving God and loving others is a skill that can be practiced and improved upon. It only requires a willing heart and a small step of faith.

So for the next 40 Days, we will take a love journey together. But let's not stop there. Let us commit ourselves to loving a little more and a little better each and every God-given day. Take a moment to read and meditate on the poem below.

Easy Love

I much prefer easy love
The kind that takes no stretch at all
My wife and children
Friends and family
Safe and sound behind my wall.

There are no risks with easy love
So cozy are its velvet ways
You love the ones
Who love you most
And praise the ones who give you praise.

Publicans love easy love
Doctors, chiefs and lawyers too
Rarely queasy
When it’s easy
My friend, how about you?

Are you a friend of easy love?
Do you scorn your enemies?
Revenge is sweeter
When you feed her
Though costly are her fees.

The Lord rejected easy love
Far too precious you and me
While we were scoffers
He died for us
True love displayed upon a tree.



Copyright A. W. Gill - 2004
All rights reserved