We say the word all of the time, and we spend a great deal of time pondering what it means. However, I feel that we may be a little too liberal with the use of the word love. Do I really love pizza? Do I really love Kentucky basketball? (Note: I’m pretty sure the answer is yes to both.)
Take a moment and think about how serious love is. It can be difficult to show love, particularly tough love. It is much more than being kind and smiling at people. Love takes work. Love takes sacrifice.
If we are to let our word stand for itself, how can we confidently throw the word love around without backing it up with our actions? How can we use love as just another verb when its true meaning is so deep and meaningful? Why have we diluted the gift of love by taking it for granted?
Love should be a word that we only use when we really mean it. We should take it seriously and only say it when we are ready to back it up with our attitude and our actions. We need to be very careful when using such a powerful word.
And just as we should use it sparingly and only when we are ready to show it, if we approach love correctly, it should be the most common word in our vocabulary. Love is what we are called to do. In fact, it is all we are called to do.
If we love God with all that we are and love each other as ourselves, every other command in the Bible will take care of itself. Love should be in our every breath and we should intentionally base every action and word in it. Everything we do should be in love.
In conclusion, love should be the word that we are most careful with and also the one that we use most often. That may seem like an impossible balance to find, but it is what we are called to do. So let’s do it.