The power of love is a curious thing
Make one man weep, make another man sing
Change a hawk to a little white dove
More than a feeling, that's the power of love
This is the opening verse for Huey Lewis’s song “The Power of Love”. Inspired by his wife and two small children, he penned it for the movie Back to the Future. The song is still his most popular to date.
“More than a feeling”—the song sings a truth that we, as Christians, know. Love is an action, a call to arms, a powerful thing. Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
This powerful action can build a bridge between people and break down barriers people erect to keep themselves safe. But why don’t we always love others well? I believe it’s due in part to losing connection from the source. Love comes from God! We can see that and how we are to respond when we read 1 John 4:
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (vs. 7-10).
God’s love compelled Him to save us. When you encounter that love, you may weep or shout for joy, but you are forever changed! And we must respond to that love: “since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (vs. 11-12).
How will you demonstrate His love to others this week?