Live in Love

And over all these virtues put on love, which pardons them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

Colossians 3:14-15

All the virtues that Paul encourages us to develop are perfectly bound together by love. As we clothe ourselves with these virtues, the last garment we are to put on is love, which holds all of the others in place. To practice any list of virtues without practicing love will lead only to distortion and stagnation. All Christians should live in peace with one another. To live in peace does not mean that suddenly all differences in opinion are eliminated, but it does require that loving Christians work together despite their differences. Such love is not a feeling, but it is a decision to meet others' needs. It is a decision to put other people's needs and desires before your own. To live in love leads to peace between individuals, among families and among the members of the body of believers. Do problems in your relationship with other Christians cause open conflicts or mutual silence? Consider what you can do to heal those relationships with love. Allow God to love you, and you in turn will learn to love others and to live in harmony with one another.

God bless you,

J.H.