How to Walk in Love
There’s a story about a little boy who was very poor and needed shoes. He was standing in front of a shoe store, barefoot and shivering with cold. A woman approached him and asked him why he was standing there, looking through the window. He told her, “Well, ma’am, I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes.” The woman took the boy into the store, washed his dirty, bare feet and put new socks and shoes on them. The boy was so touched by her compassion that he asked her, “Ma’am, are you God’s wife?” He assumed if she showed him that kind of love, she must be related to God.
Paul tells us as Christians we are to, “be imitators of God … And walk in love, …”. (Ephesians 5:1-2) But, how do we walk in love? Is it by doing acts of kindness like the one in this story or is it by giving to the poor or some other benevolent action? These are all expressions of God’s love, but walking in love is much greater; it is a way of life. Walking in love is being patient with others, it’s never rude or self seeking, it is forgiving and enduring, it doesn’t boast or become jealous, walking in love always gets the victory. (1Corinthians 13:4-8) Walking in love is a choice, it is an investment that will cost you, but it will bring great reward.
Jesus put it this way, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. He expects us to love others, not just friends, but enemies too. He tells us to bless those who curse us, to do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully use us and persecuted us. (Matthew 5:44) it sounds hard, maybe even impossible. How in the the world can we do this love walk?
You can do it! You can walk in love because the love of God is in you, (Romans 5:5) It starts by understanding God’s love for YOU. When we receive a full revelation of God’s love for us, it becomes easy to love others with the love that we have received. We can’t give away what we don’t have. You have the love of God, you just need to know it, receive it, and then give it away. To walk in love you must know God’s unfailing love for you. Then make the choice to let that love flow out of you. It is in you – the love of God!
Always think good of others, speak good of others, speak good TO others, and serve others good. Before you respond to people, ask yourself: How would God’s love act? What would God’s love do? Then do that!
When you choose to walk in love towards others you are putting God on display. Decide today that you will walk in love and that you will express words of love to your family, friends, and even your enemies.
WALK IN LOVE BY LOVING OTHERS LIKE CHRIST LOVES YOU.