Love Others Through Your Words

Jesus says that the most important commandment of all commandments is: to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind! Jesus says in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commands." Our obedience to God demonstrates our love for God. To love God is the priority of life. It should rule our hearts & thoughts and guide our decisions, words, and actions. The second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself, which should flow out of the first and greatest commandment. We naturally love ourselves and want the best for ourselves. Jesus wants us to treat others the same way. Do good to all! Speak the truth in love to all! "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10) Does our tongue do any harm to others? If so, we must repent because it's not love (agape). If we truly love others as ourselves, we will not intentionally harm/hurt them with our words. Instead, we would want to use our words to show them that we love them. We can express our love to others through words of encouragement, edification, appreciation, affection, affirmation, commendation, grace, hope, comfort, forgiveness, and prayers. Our kind, loving words can cheer someone up. Our soothing, comforting words can touch someone's sorrowful heart. Our joyful, uplifting words can change someone's mood or make someone's day. Our forgiving, reconciling words can change someone's life (at least ours for sure). How do we respond to those whom we disagree with? By God's grace and with God's love in our heart, we can choose to respond with gentle, respectful words. If we love others as ourselves, we will seek to complement rather than criticize, preserve relationship rather than argue to win, overlook an offense rather than retaliate with mean, harsh, biting words, and forgive rather than blame and accuse. And remember that the most loving thing we can do for someone is to share the gospel with them.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for loving me first with an everlasting love! I love You! Please purify my heart, soul, & mind and help me love You more and more with every part of me. Please make my life a living expression of Your love to the world for Your glory. Please give me Your eyes to see where and how I may be a blessing to others each day. Please enable me to love others like Jesus... unconditionally, sacrificially, and selflessly. May my words and actions always be motivated by my love for You and for others. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.