L is for Love

As the last in this series about PEACEFUL, I want to talk about love. This is particularly a meaningful time for me to speak to this, as today would have been my father’s 90^th birthday. He was the epitome of fatherly, marital, and brotherly love. He exuded so much love, that people immediately connected to him. In his honor, I dedicate this blog to his memory with several verses from the bible about love:

Galatians 5 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.

Colossians 3:14, 15. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Let’s talk about the first verse. Note that love and peace are part of the fruit of the spirit. Without love, we cannot find peace. Peace begins with love. That includes self-love. Love is needed to truly connect with one another and find meaning and experience love in its fullness. Peace, on the other hand, is about a state of harmony. It is when we are at peace with ourselves, our own unique experience, that we can achieve the stability and balance to be content despite external forces.

The second verse speaks to love as something that binds us in harmony. In context, this verse follows ones emphasizing the positive attribute of kindness, compassion, gentleness, and forgiveness. Above, I mentioned that peace is about harmony. However, we cannot achieve that peace without love.

The final verse I chose, speaks to love as being the greatest of all. Many use the verses in 1Corinthians in marriage ceremonies. It elevates the importance of love. It signifies that without love, there can be no faith, no hope. Love is referenced as rejoicing in truth, having no fear, and enduring all things.

When you are seeking inner peace, remember that peace and love come from our spirit and not the material things we have. And isn’t love the greatest of all? We can honor our spirit which gives us physical life through nourishing its fruit. So, tap into your spirit to connect to others love and peace and give thanks for love! Oh, and I love you, Dad!