It’s Love That Makes the World Go ‘Round: Part Five

Colossians 2: 1 – 3

Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” (John 14: 15) He then said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, that you love one another.” (John 13: 35)

When encouragement is given, endearment follows: “Being knit together.”

For warmth on a cold day consider which would keep you warmer – gloves or mittens?  Mittens, because the fingers are all together and can share warmth. Gloves isolate the fingers and they get colder that way.

That is illustrative of the fact we need to share social, emotional, and spiritual warmth together. That is one reason our Lord instituted the church. Togetherness requires time.

In courtship, time is a dominant factor. Time is a pivotal factor. Everyone knows time is valuable. To spend time with a person indicates you value that person. It is a way of saying, “I love you.”

Of all the critical time shortages there is none comparable to that of dads and their children.

Praise is essential to endearment. The Bible says God finds praise “beautiful.” (Psalm 33:1) God loves praise and those created in His image love it also. A little well timed praise goes a long way. Thanks is offered for things. Praise relates to the nature of a person. 

It is good to express thanks for things done, but the person also needs praise. It is good to say thanks for things done, but it is essential to acknowledge personal traits such as thoughtfulness, patience, kindness, and other personal traits.

Encouragement and endearment result in enlightenment. It offers “full assurance of understanding.” This necessitates consideration being given. 

“Consideration” is defined in a dictionary as “thoughtfulness for others and their feelings.”  That’s love. It does not seek its own.

Leo Tolstoy, the renowned Russian author, wrote often of living a life of love. The most poignant thing I have ever read about him personally was written by his wife:

“There is so little genuine warmth about him; his kindness does not come from his heart, but merely from his principles. His biographers will tell how he helped the laborers to carry buckets of water, but no one will ever know that he never gave his wife a rest, and never in all these thirty-two years, gave his child a drink of water or spent five minutes by his bedside to give me a chance to rest a little from my labor.”

Don’t be like Tolstoy. Give your time and yourself to those around, and then let the concentric waves of love reach others.

Above all, be considerate of those around you, love compels it.