As we start a brand new yr, I pray, as I do yearly, for God to disclose to me one thing he’d like me to meditate on within the coming yr. What does God need me to be taught? And the place does he need me to develop?

In previous years, God has revealed pleasure (2022) and fearless (2023) to me as phrases for my yr. And I see how he has taught me to go deeper into the thriller of the Gospel as I realized how one can specific pleasure, even within the midst of sorrow, after which to be fearless, relying fully on God.

This yr, the phrase is evident: love.

I say this phrase on a regular basis. I really like espresso and tacos, my husband, and likewise my pal’s canine. After all, I really like God. However with such different makes use of of the phrase, I have no idea what love really means.

I do know what it’s to like somebody or one thing that equally delights in me. My husband is at all times kinder, extra attentive, and extra loving to me than I’m to him. It’s simple to like him. The identical is true for my pal’s canine that appears to be over the moon to see me each time I present up.

I suppose I first observed a distinct type of love after I had youngsters. They might do nothing for me, supply me nothing, and but, I might die for these boys. I work endlessly to feed them and preserve them secure and completely satisfied. They’re now youngsters and the sweetest of teenagers, however they’re generally annoying or impolite, and but, I nonetheless love them. I might transfer mountains for them.

My enemies? Not a lot. They’re greater than annoying. They actively penalize me for my kindness in the direction of them. They’ve gotten me fired from jobs, unfold gossip about me, and made the communities I transfer inside troublesome.

And but, I’m known as to like them. I’m not known as simply to tolerate them or be well mannered. I don’t know what it seems like to like an enemy. I feel because of this my phrase is love this yr, in order that I can step deeper into the thriller of affection with Jesus.

We all know the Scripture passage on love from 1 Corinthians that’s typically learn at weddings, however what about making use of it to enemies?

Love is affected person; love is variety; love is just not envious or boastful or boastful or impolite. It doesn’t insist by itself means; it isn’t irritable or resentful; it doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing, however rejoices within the fact. It bears all issues, believes all issues, hopes all issues, endures all issues. Love by no means ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8a)

St. Paul factors us to know real love is otherworldly. Not all love is identical. Actual love comes from God.

I don’t know the place God goes to take me this yr as I meditate on love. I do know I’ll be taught the depths of its definition, and I’ll be taught to follow it higher, particularly with my enemies. And I need to consider that this actual love is really transformative. That is the Gospel.

I can not do that alone. I need to rely on God to indicate me the way in which. I’m anticipating miracles.

Photograph by Drazen Nesic on Pixnio.