The meaning of love
As we all know, love is a strong emotional feeling.
Although it is often recognised as one person coming to complete unity with another person or within one’s family, love is actually for everyone.
Love is there for us to receive from people around us and to give to anyone. We have been designed to love and be loved.
Google defines love as “an intense [passionate] feeling of deep affection” and “a great interest and pleasure in something [or someone with a great passion]” (my words, bracketed).
Then, what is passion?
Passion is a powerful (emotional) feeling of one’s deep desire. For example, I love everyone and want to bring out the best in people. I guess this is the reason that I love to encourage others.
God’s abundant love
Bringing out the best in people also has been one of God’s greatest passions.
Although we may believe we are just physical beings, we are also spiritual beings.
We may have been physically well most of the time. However, since we have died spiritually as we have been separated from God, the Creator and our ‘Abba’ Father, He sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be sacrificed on our behalf.
He has saved us from spiritual death (Colossians chapter 1, verses 15-23).
Through faith in Jesus and renewal of God’s Spirit, God has given us hope of eternal life. The primary reason is God’s abundant love towards us (Titus chapter 3, verses 3-8).
Our love back to God
As God has steadfast love towards us, He longs to have a relationship with us.
But how can we have a relationship with God, an invisible divine being?
We can connect with God in two primary ways—God’s word and prayer.
God’s word
God’s word, also known as the Holy Scriptures or Bible, has been handed down continuously from ancient times.
Although reading is often considered to gather information, the Scriptures are supposed to transform one’s life spiritually.
In other words, the Holy Scriptures are there for us to meditate on, to live righteously as God’s children and Jesus’ followers (2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 14-17).
Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are God’s living and active word instead of just ancient word (Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12).
Through the Holy Spirit, God’s word renews one’s mind to be single-minded and to have undivided loyalty to God and His word.
Prayer
Since the Holy Bible contains God’s word for us, prayer is a way to communicate and commune with Him.
Therefore, prayer is a way to have intimacy with God.
Although we are trying to live in the way God wants with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and by reading God’s word, He desires to hear from us.
“Disciplines of prayer provide patterns for attending to God throughout the day.” (Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)
As Calhoun also declares, “the inward posture of the heart preceded all outward postures for prayer,” there are no specific ways of praying.
When someone is praying in a prayer meeting, I often close my eyes as this helps me to focus and intercede with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
However, whenever I pray in a prayer meeting through the help of “Text to Speech” application or when praying by myself, I often do not close my eyes as there is no need to.
God’s call
Although hearing God’s word and praying are two primary ways to connect with God, there is another way based on His word and prayers.
Another way is tuning into God’s Spirit and obeying Him.
When it was time for Jesus to ascend to heaven and the right hand of His Father, God poured His Spirit into us so that we could journey with Jesus with the empowerment of the Spirit.
Since everybody is different, God has given us different gifts.
Although some people realise what their calling is with their gifts in a short time, others need more time to figure out what their gifts are.
For example, I found my calling within two years after I committed to following Jesus.
It does not matter how quickly we figure them out. The only thing that matters to God is our desire to follow Jesus and obedience to the Holy Spirit (John chapter 14, verses 15-21).
Since God prioritises us because of His immense love, we are to make Him our first priority because we are nothing without Him. Although we may enjoy living our lives without God and faith in Jesus Christ, it is only temporary enjoyment, as there will be a big missing gap and a void of satisfaction in our lives.