Walk in Love

Love is a universal human need. We achieve great feats when we feel loved. Sadly, so many people feel unloved. The truth is that you are extremely valuable and the Creator of the universe loves you! 

Some people think that love is just a feeling, but it is so much more. Love is patient. Love never gives up. Love is not self-seeking. It does not dishonor others. Love forgives. It does not keep record of wrongs. Love is putting others first. Love is loyal. Love remains faithful till the end. Love is eternal. 

A dear friend of mine once sent me this version of 1 Corinthians 13. Love stops the cooking to hug a child. Love sets aside a project to kiss the spouse. Love is kind. Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never gives up. 

PK Mahanandia was born into the Indian caste system which placed him “even lower than cows and dogs”. His teachers told the other students that he was “untouchable.” Despite the challenges, he exceled in school and even attended college. By his early twenties, he had become an excellent portrait artist. Charlotte Von Schedvin, a descendent of Swedish royalty, traveled to India in 1975. She sought out PK to get her portrait done. When she met the artist, it was love at first sight. The couple fell in love and got married. When Charlotte asked him to return to Sweden with her, he said that he would follow her to Europe just as soon as he could support them financially. Two years later, and still barely earning enough, PK decided it was time to give up his pride and journey to Sweden even without the funds to pay for it. He sold everything in order to buy a pre-owned bicycle and decided to cycle from Asia to Europe. PK cycled across deserts in Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. He hitched rides whenever he could and biked up to 45 miles a day. He crossed Turkey and parts of Eastern Europe before pushing north towards Sweden. He traveled 4,000 miles and hit ten countries along the way. It took him four months and three weeks before he was finally reunited with his wife. The two of them have been married for 40 years and have two grown children. PK is an art advisor to the Swedish government while Charlotte has had a long career as a music teacher. PK once said, “I never liked biking, but I bicycled for love.” 

What is it about PK and Charlotte that has kept them together for forty years? It is more than just a feeling; it is a mutual commitment to love, honor, and respect one another.   

When you walk in love, you prefer the other person. Your goal is to outdo each other in thoughtfulness, acts of service, and words of encouragement. Love enjoys time with each other. Love is eager to listen and slow to speak. Love waits patiently until the other person is ready. Love overlooks faults and makes allowances for mistakes. Love forgives and keeps no records of wrongs. Love always seeks to advance the other. 

Love does. It is taking the trash out without being asked to. It is doing the laundry without complaining. It is closing the cabinet when one forgets. Love does the honey-dos promptly and with a good attitude. Love cleans the kitty litter even when it is someone else’s turn. Love overlooks petty offenses. Love walks into the room when the world walks out of it. 

In order to walk in love, you must first embrace the Source of love. Many people are trying to earn God’s love. The problem is that we can never measure up. There will always be something that makes us feel inadequate. So I encourage you to take the pressure off and receive God’s unconditional love for you. 

That is exactly what a woman who was caught in adultery had to do (John 8). When her accusers disqualified to condemn her, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more”. He did not say, “Go and change your ways and then I will be for you and love you!” No, he first said, “I do not condemn you.” Jesus made sure she knew that she was loved. What about you? Are you still trying to earn God’s love? If you feel unloved, let me remind you that God is crazy about you. He loves you so much that He died for you. Why not try to embrace that unconditional love and connect with Him today? God is love and He is waiting for your response. 

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another” (John 13:34 MSG).  

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