LOVE Is Enough

We live in a society that is fascinated in formulas/plans. You can find one for just about anything in life. Even when it comes to the family. It's interesting to me that something so simple can be made so complicated. The reality of the Kingdom of God in our lives means that LOVE is enough. It is our joy to discover how much.

1 John 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

I want you to think about this with me. When John chose to write the church, he prefaced it all with these words: "Love one another." While he went on to talk about the issues the church was facing, I truly believe he was setting the tone for everything else. The question we should ask ourselves is whether or not we believe in the power of love?

If love is powerful enough for the church, I think it would work just fine in the family. While I'm grateful for the resources that are available for families, none of them will work if love isn't present. It makes me wonder if we aren't getting the cart before the horse. It's one thing to change behavior but quite another to change a mindset. Making love the center of all that we do (in my opinion) means that our behaviors will come in line.

Let me share something with you that will further illustrate this point.

"I heard a pastor speak in a church once and it went something like this:

'I would like to thank those who come every Sunday, every Wednesday, those who come to clean and serve whenever you're available, those who are here to set up and tear down. I would like to thank those who arrive early and stay late. You know who you are and appreciate you very much. Thank you. I have one more thing to say to you today and it's this:

GO HOME. If you are here every time the door are open and even when they are not, please go home. Please live life, please love your families, go out and spend time in the world doing things other than church. Life is too short not to live yours. There is a whole other world going on out there. Spend some time out there, have fun, be with people. Go do that. It's what Jesus did.'"


What does this little story have to do with love? Well...this pastor was talking to people who love God. In their love for God they were present every time the doors were opened. However, as you can see through his statements, they were missing out on other joys in life. They were missing out on the joy of their families and other relationships. They had the formula right...right? I mean they were doing what people do who love God. Right? This is what we are taught. This is the plan that many people follow. But in the end, they were missing out on life.

We may have certain principles that guide us in our parenting but if we do not love then we are simply going through the emotions. Friends, love will ensure that you are treating your children right. Love will make sure that you are giving the time they need. Love will provide you with the wisdom you need, the clarity to make decisions, and the courage to deal with the hard things. LOVE is enough!!! Love is a life giving force. The life our families desperately need.

In closing let me share with you a valuable quote from Billy Graham: "Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love."