What does love look like?

“He (Epaphras) has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.”  Colossians 1:8 

What did that kind of love look like that Epaphras told Paul about it?  Maybe,  forgiveness, kindness, letting God handle relational issues, acts of servanthood, giving, to name a few.  Since this kind of love is Holy Spirit given,  it is not the kind based on how lovable someone is or how loving someone acts toward us.  I’m reminded often that someone’s reciprocation of love is irrelevant to whether we decide to love or not.  It is a decision based on what God did for us through Jesus –that is the reigning and deciding factor on whether we show love or not. 

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”  Romans 5:8 

Not because we were good enough, moral and upstanding, not lovable; in fact we were in rebellion to God.  Thankfully and gratefully God’s love is a decision He made in spite of our rebellion.  An ACT OF LOVE demonstrated by his violent and painful death.  Next time someone is being unlovable, remember how we were loved and still loved and then we can make the decision to do the same to others.  It’s something we can practice doing daily.