In February, we hear a lot about love. This “love” is often expressed in a variety of ways: roses, chocolates, cards, etc. These expressions of love are indeed 
wonderful physical demonstrations of an emotional feeling.
The dictionary describes love as “a feeling of deep affection” or “cherishing someone or something.” Love is indeed an interesting word, because it can be used as either a noun or a verb. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 beautifully blends these two definitions, with a glimpse of what true love looks and acts like:
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Many of the qualities of love that you read about in the above scripture are feelings or emotions, controlled by our feelings or emotions. But, today I would like for you to look at this scripture in a different light—as a set of actions. Actions that lead to success and will not fail, because “love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8).
When we understand love as an action, we can see that 1 Corinthians 13 is calling us to serve in God’s Kingdom by doing good to others; and we must do so with pure hearts of love as unto the Lord. God withheld nothing from us when He sent His only Son to the earth to give us salvation and to meet ALL of our needs—according to His riches in glory (Phil.4:19). So, we too, are being called to lay down our lives and our love on His altar in complete surrender.
The King James Bible interprets 1 Corinthians 13:8 to read:
“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
Charitable giving is love in action, and is used as a gift which in-turn protects our spiritual gifts. Charity is generosity and helpfulness in action!
At times, you may find it challenging to walk in love in but I want to encourage you that it is your love in action that will protect your spiritual gifts. Whether it is about loving a challenging family member or co-worker, serving your community, or sowing your financial seed in good soil, these charitable acts will position you for blessing!
February is indeed a great month for us to remember the power of love, but I want to encourage you to take your expression of love beyond the traditional gifts of flowers and chocolates!
Remember, “Charity never fails.” And charitable gifts given in love, will not fail. I encourage you to keep sowing, keep giving, and most importantly, don’t give up on the power of love.
“For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.” —Romans 15:26-27
We can see that the Macedonians and Achaeans discovered the mystery and the power of charitable giving with pure hearts of love toward the saints in Jerusalem!
At Curt Landry Ministries we have been blessed to understand this same principle for many years. We have been honored to follow the example left to us in Romans 15 by blessing the widow and the orphan in the City of Jerusalem and elsewhere. We believe this is love in action—love being demonstrated as a verb.
As we read the words of Yeshua in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” we notice that Jerusalem is the first location the Lord commanded us to be a witness in. There is something supernatural about blessing, praying, and being charitable to Jerusalem and her poor.
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”— Matthew 24:45-46
Friends, our heart’s desire should always be this… that when The Master returns, He finds us “so doing”—He finds us serving in love!
