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“We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” – Maya Angelou.

Let’s spend the next couple weeks thinking about love.

Fellows, take this as a warning that Valentine’s Day is the second Sunday of February. That’s two weeks away, and is still on the 14th as it is every other year.

It’s kind of like your anniversary in that the date doesn’t change and we still somehow forget. 1 Corinthians 13, also known as “the love chapter,” gives characteristics of love. This chapter is beautiful because you can intertwine the word love with God knowing that (as the NIV reads) God is patient. God is kind. God does not envy, boast, isn’t proud. God isn’t rude, self-seeking, easily angered, and through Jesus he keeps no record of our wrongs. God doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices in truth. He always protects, trust, hopes, perseveres. God never fails.

Imagine a person you know who displays love. They are beautiful inside and it shows on the outside. We admire this person. We don’t believe anything negative could spew from a person like this. They are someone with whom we admire and look up too. And yet, we don’t respect or like them enough to mimic their actions. Ouch!

While love looks good on them, imagine what love would look like in and through you. Imagine if instead of going off on someone we remain silent and prayed for them. Imagine, instead of gossiping about folks we asked how we could serve them. Imagine, instead of complaining we put love to action. Nah. That takes too much work, doesn’t it.

It is a whole lot easier to simply stay like we are, see their smiling love being given, admire them from the distance, but leave it at that. Please note, that was sarcasm. We are called to spread, give, show, be love to all.

Philippians 4:5 challenges us to, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Love wins. Love is gentleness in action. Lenny Kravitz’s song, “Let Love Rule,” says, “Love transcends all space and time and love can make a little child smile. Can’t you see this won’t go wrong? But we got to be strong. We can’t do it alone. We got to let love rule.”

Let love rule. Let love rule your marriage. Through highs and lows, better or for worse, let love rule.

Tacos help. When you go out in public with traffic, idiots, shoppers, people – let love rule. When at work and that one person is about to make you snap – let love rule. You got to let love rule.

 

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail.com.