Love Potion No. 9
My younger readers may not know that the title to this post is also a title to a old school popular song at one time. If you are not familiar with it, it is essentially about a guy who goes to a gipsy and gets a love potion. This potion causes him to fall in love and want to kiss everything he sees. Sometimes I wonder if following the second greatest commandment would be easier if we all had a little love potion no 9.
What prompted this bizarre chain of thinking was my prayers the other day. I was praying for someone who tends to be a little difficult for me to interract with. As I was talking to God, God said, “Do you love him?” Well, I have been trying to show him love, I replied. God answered back, “I didn’t ask you to show him love, I asked you to love him.”
For many of you this may seem like a simple no brainer, but for me it was profound. How often do I try to show someone love rather than really trying to love them?
This can tend to a challenge for me. People can get on my nerves. Prekids, I used to tell my wife that if God took her home early, I would probably become a hermit. So this lesson from God really home. Loving instead of just showing love. Love will be shown naturally when I love, but loving will not naturally happen when I show love.
Showing love is fake, in and of myself, and is absent of the work of God. Loving is a miracle from God. Loving takes transformation. So God, please teach me to love, and not just show love.
Today, I was just preaching at myself. If anyone else benefitted, I am glad. Let me know if you have any thoughts on this.
