1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Love is the secret condiment and seasoning that adds God’s flavour to our words and actions. Without love our goodness and generosity would be vain self-promotions. Love is not just the first facet of the ‘fruit of the spirit’; it is the essential flavour that accentuates all other facets. Without unwavering love we cannot be joyful or peaceful. It is impossible to be genuinely patient and kind without love. Love initiates goodness; love helps us to remain faithful and meek. The consciousness that our misdeed would hurt the heart of the Father in heaven helps us to live a self-controlled life. Authentic love for the Lord and genuine love for people will make an ordinary person extraordinary and powerful.
‘Love is the only thing that multiplies when divided’ – Ralph Giles.
The more we give love the more we get. Love defeats the law of division in math. If salt is missing, even a palatial platter will be tasteless and if there is too much salt it will not be edible. Similarly if there is no love in our good deeds, it will be flavorless. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet (Matthew 5:16). During the Biblical times, they did not have iodized salt sold in the supermarket. They harvested salt from the sea and the raw salt with the waste material and sand were tied to a thick cloth and dipped into the dish that had to be salted. Reuse of the bundle of salt would dissolve the salt leaving the waste in the cloth which is then thrown on the footpath. Repeated ritualistic religiosity without love is like salt waste with no flavour.
Love without any expectations, prayer for the oppressors and abusers that mistreated us would mature love. Loving unconditionally accentuates the heart of Jesus. Three waves of love that Jesus expects from us are from the head, hand and heart.
Flavoured with Love:
1. Head: Jesus said, “Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44a); stop thinking about the slander, harm and backstabbing over and over again. Replace painful animosity with forgiveness. Without love we can never forgive a person nor forget the harm.
2. Hand: Jesus said, “Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you” (Matthew 5:44a). Anger and antipathy would make us curse the offenders. When you get a chance to do good to them, do it to make your Father in Heaven proud.
3. Heart: Jesus said, “Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44a). To keep our hearts from getting bitter we must pray for the naysayers and the evil doers. Pray for their needs, their finances and their families.
Unconditional Love of God is ripened by the burning flames of betrayal and backstabbing.
1 Corinthians 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Prayer: Loving Saviour, fill my heart with Godly, unconditional and unassuming love. Amen.
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