“And now abides
faith, hope, love, these three; but the
greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13
February is the month of Valentine’s Day, when we can see
the stores filled with hearts and flowers and candy and reminders to express
our love to our family and friends. Decorations grace buildings and homes with red and pink hearts, cupids,
cuddly stuffed animals and such. But the
love in this scripture really means charity. In fact, my old King James version of the bible I received in 4th
grade in my Presbyterian Church in St. Louis uses the word charity, not love.
There are many ways to express love/charity to our family,
neighbors and neighborhood, the community, and the world at large. Giving of yourself to help another, be it a
small thing or something large, follows the precepts that Jesus has taught
us. It exemplifies the Golden Rule: “Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you”. When we genuinely love and show our charity
toward others we gain more than we give. We know that we are following Christ’s teachings and in doing so we
increase our spiritual growth. Love/charity
is an action that brings us closer to God and Jesus, and will provide us with
joy and peace.
Prayer: Dear Father, during this month of love let us
determine to choose to love and show charity to not only our family and
friends, but to the many people who live in our community. Guide us on a path of genuine love, showing
charity to all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Carolyn Brandle
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