Romans 13:8 (NKJV)

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

The heart of true religion is love. The heart of true living is love. Love is the summary of everything good and righteous. Love is always thinking of how to serve and bless and help and build the other person. And if blessing another person means inflicting some type of pain, then the lover does so with carefulness and personal agony. The spiritual man is a lover: a lover of God, a lover of truth, a lover of Mankind. All of God’s expectations from us is tied to love. If we have God’s heart of love, then we have fulfilled God’s law of righteousness because love is a potent and powerful force.

Don’t owe people love. Don’t deny people love. A smile, a helpful hand, a small assistance, a word of truth, an affirmation, a rebuke, a gift. Love always thinks of the welfare of the other. Love is not selfish and is not self-seeking. NLT calls love, an “obligation.” As spiritual men, it is our duty and obligation to love others. Love is not optional. Love is compulsory for the man of God; it’s a debt that must be paid. To love will not always be easy but as with every other spiritual thing, practicing love requires help from God and great personal discipline. Without these two things, we may desire to love but we will be unable to love.

“Lord, You are love and I want to always walk in love. I confess that many times, I have failed the love test because of my self-centeredness. Visit me again with Your power of love, and make me display Your life and aroma of love to everyone around me. In Jesus name. Amen.”