Is love really a fruit of the Spirit? It can be a difficult concept to wrap your mind around. How can a word that means almost anything in our culture be a fruit of the Spirit? God helps us by telling us what love really is. He does this in 1 Corinthians 13 – the chapter picked by so many couples on their wedding day. You’ve heard the verses! Love is patient, love is kind… You can check them out HERE. When you do I want you to do is to take your name and insert it into the verse every time the word love or a pronoun that refers back to love is used. This is a humbling exercise. You most likely do fairly well with some of the qualities on the list and then not so good with the others.
Let’s go a little deeper. How can you show that love? Maybe you want to so your affection to your spouse. A hug might work, right? Some people like hugs, but there are others who are not huggers. Some people enjoy a compliment. Others love getting a card in the mail. That small token of affection is extremely meaningful to some. How about cleaning? Is the vacuum music to your ears? Some people feel loved when there is an act of service offered on their behalf. Did you know that simply spending time with another person – you don’t need to say a word – can be a big deal to some people. Maybe watching a movie or taking in a sporting event would fall into this category.
The next step is learning which language of love you speak and then figuring out the language spoken by your spouse or friend. It’s possible they might be bi-lingual – when it comes to love! Maybe they need a compliment and an empty dishwasher. In fact you can take the quiz right HERE
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s lesson from our series: Fruit of the Spirit: Love.
Please click HERE for the Bible class slides.
Please click HERE for the small group study guides.