365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 140

I picked up a book at the library this week by Gary Chapman called Love As a Way of Life. He expands on the idea of our love languages with 7 keys that each us should do no matter what our love language is. I found the way he defines authentic love to be very insightful. He says, ‘Love is not an emotion that comes over us or an elusive goal dependent on the actions of others. Authentic love is something within our capabilities, originating in our attitudes and culminating in our actions.’ This definition really hit home after listening to the sermon from church yesterday. It is not our words that make a difference but our actions. We can say we love someone but without actions it is not truly heartfelt, not truly authentic love. Actions require sacrifice. We have to take the time or the cost that will show the proof of our love. Chapman says, ‘We cannot love authentically if we are not willing to sacrifice’. But authentic love has to start with calling on the Holy Spirit within us to make us capable of authentic love. And we need to cultivate our attitude to be one of service. Just as Jesus served so must we. So here is my affirmation and prayer to help prepare me for living a life with authentic love: I am capable of loving others authentically with the Holy Spirit within me and my attitude is one of service to others no matter the sacrifice.

1John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in