By Shannon Marshall

Somethings are easy to love. Somethings one may have to learn to love.  I love watermelon. I didn’t always love watermelon. The problem was I had never eaten a good one, but when I did, the love for them was easy.

Paul taught the Christians of Corinth the importance of love.  Paul needed to send a letter to the church because they were trying to serve Jesus without love. Chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians is called the love chapter.  The chapter falls right between two chapters on spiritual gifts. The church at Corinth loved their giftedness much more than one another.  We need to learn the importance of love.

We can post some great things on social media, we can give to those in need, we can have great faith, but if we do these things without love… we are nothing.  We should do these great things for others because we choose to love them.  Love is greater than the actions.  What did you get for Valentine’s Day? Whatever you got, you probably loved what was given out of love rather than what was given out of duty.

Paul teaches us not only what love is, but also what love isn’t.  Many a person have been hurt in the name of love or forced to do something to prove love.  Love is the greatest force known to mankind. God is love! God loves you! Before you ever existed, God loved you. His love for you was why He sent His Son. The reason we can love others is because God loved us first.  The love of God is shared with others through us.

A boy was sitting on the bench one Sunday evening waiting for the bus to come and take him to church. A man asked him why he was riding the bus to that church. The boy said, “they love a boy like me at that church.” Learn to love.