Walk in Love!

Walking in love is a fundamental factor in the Christian life. If we walk in love we are doing what pleases God and obeying the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-37). Paul mentions in Ephesians 5: 1-2 two reasons why walking in love is so important.

First of all, we are God’s child. Just as my children look up to my husband and I and try to imitate us, so are we to look to our heavenly Father and try to imitate Him. Everything God does for His children are wrapped in the confines of love because “God is love”. Secondly, Christ gave himself up as a sacrifice for us. We are not our own for we are bought with a price. The price of innocent blood was shed for us so we may have the opportunity to be reconciled with the Father. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Yet, we were once God’s enemies: “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10). Do you love others to the point where you are you willing to die for your enemies so that they may have eternal life? God did.

When we become born again we are born with a new nature. Our new nature should be loving, kind, generous and peaceful. We are to “walk in love” and we are able to do this because God puts this love in our hearts at conversion because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Just as we have a loving relationship with the Father, we too should have a loving relationship with others. Examine your heart this morning. Do you “walk in love”? Are you imitating the Father? Can others see the Father through your love for them?

Dear Jesus, I pray that I walk daily in your steps. I pray that others may see Your love for them through my words and actions. I know I fail miserably because, let’s just face it, Your shoes are big to fill! But, I do not do anything by my own power and might. Anything I do that has any lasting impact is because of Your work through me by Your power and strength! Thank goodness I am not asked to do anything by my own strength but through the power of the Holy Spirit enabling me. Help me Lord to walk in love daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.