You see, God's love (also called charity) is a pure gift from him to be received and shared. The spiritual gift of love is the only type of love that fulfills the deepest longings of our hearts. Like all gifts, it must first be received and cherished, and then it allows us to love ourselves and others as God does.
In Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul reminds us that God's greatest gift to us is love. To know God is the only way to know what real love is. “He showed us his kindness and love. He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy”.
Paul makes it clear that “love” is not simply one more among the many spiritual gifts that are distributed to the body of Christ. Rather, “love” is a way of life, a virtue that is to characterize the desire for and exercise of all spiritual gifts.
Why is love the greatest of all? Because it has the power to transform lives, heal mental and physical challenges, satisfy the soul, direct our goals, comfort the mourning, beautify the world, soften the hardened heart…. There's no end to what Love can do because “God is love” (1 John 4:8 KJV).
Gift-love is one of the three elements of love that Lewis identifies (along with Need-love and Appreciative Love). Lewis defines Gift-love as simple self-giving—for example, a father working hard to provide for a family he knows will outlive him.
Wisdom. Wisdom is considered the first and the greatest of the gifts. It acts upon both the intellect and the will. According to St. Bernard, it both illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine.
So, instead of abandoning us or retaliating against us, he offers us a gift, the best gift that has ever been given: his Son, crucified and raised to life again. And he promises he will reign over us in an eternal kingdom that is far better than any of us could ever ask for or imagine.
God's love fills the immensity of space; therefore, there is no shortage of love in the universe, only in our willingness to do what is needed to feel it. To do this, Jesus explained we must “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, … soul, …
God's Love Is Unconditional
The Bible states that God loved us while we were still sinners; His love abounds from His infinite goodness and mercy. God's love is steadfast and unchanging. Though we may grow distant from Him or fickle in our attitude toward Him, He continues to love us.
In the gospel of John, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34, ESV).
So we've looked at the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of faith, and the gift of forgiveness. These are all wonderfully personal gifts: The Holy Spirit works in your life. Faith is formed by the Word of God. And when you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, He becomes yours, and when He is yours, forgiveness is yours.
The mental, emotional, and social advantages of receiving love and affection speak for themselves. Aside from helping you to maintain positive, long-lasting relationships, your confidence and self-esteem get a major boost. You and your loved one can strengthen your bond and build greater trust.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” is from 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV). We've seen this recognizable Scripture on plaques, shirts, tablecloths, and maybe even on face masks due to our present times.
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
God's call to love others is audacious. We're to put others ahead of ourselves, love people we don't like (or don't even know), and share our resources generously. It's a love that forces us to grow — we can't love like Jesus did without our hearts changing. Lord, help us to love people as you love them.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
Love is not an occasional gesture but an obvious aspect of character. So here is a snapshot of what genuine love looks like: It is patience, generosity, humility, courtesy, restraint, joy, and consistency.
Here are six gifts from God, specially wrapped and delivered . . . for you! A sympathetic friend, a supreme and unchallenged Lord over all, wonderfully wise, always able to act on behalf of those who trust him, sensitive and caring and compassionate, the giver of all peace and comfort and consolation.
1. The Heart: The most popular symbol of love, a heart is used to represent the center of emotion, including affection and love, especially romantic love.