MARCH 16, Galatians 5:22

Instead of envy, hate, and other kinds of sin, what must a Christian possess? He must have evidence that the Holy Spirit is in him and that is demonstrated by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. For the next few days, we would be learning about the different aspects of this wonderful fruit of salvation, and we start with love!

There are many accounts and lessons about love in the Bible. There is a real account of a young man and his love for a young lady. He had to work for seven years before he could marry the lady. To children like you, seven years seem to be a long time. But to Jacob the days, months and years seemed to pass by quickly. His work in the house of the lady’s father never seemed too hard, for he was deeply in love with her. He knew that when the seven years were up, he would be able to have the privilege of having the lovely lady as his wife. She was worth it all. Love made the work easy. Who was she? Answer: ________________

To love God is central to all Christians. A Christian must always love God, and that must be evident in his life, because love as a trait, is part of the fruit of the Spirit. Do you have this trait?

Jesus was asked by one of the teachers of the law, “Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:36-38). Loving God is a Christian’s highest priority. Do you love God above anything? Even more than your beloved toys and computer games! Even more than your parents! ...Examine your heart if you honestly have this love for God inside you.

What does it mean to love God whole-heartedly? Just like Jacob, who loved Rachel so much that he would do anything for her, we will also be ready to do anything to please God when we love Him. The most important thing is not to continue sinning. And we are to love doing the things that would please Him. We will love going to church, being a good child and hardworking student, and performing our duties joyfully for His sake. When we feel like grumbling about something, think of the love of God. We should do things well because we love the Lord Jesus.

Thought: How deep is your love for God?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help my love for Christ grow deeper and stronger day by day. I must at the same time learn how not to sin, so please help me, Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.