The Power of Love
“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:10
Interestingly, just by changing the order of the words in the title of today’s devotion you can easily go from “The Power of Love” to “The Love of Power.” Just a small change in the order of the words, but a world of difference in what they mean and what they produce.
Sadly, many people in authority are motivated by a love of power. It’s intoxicating. The more they get the more they want; and once they have power, they don’t want to relinquish it, and they’ll do almost anything to keep it. Unfortunately, though, the love of power leads to all kinds of bad policies and oppression.
Not so with the power of love. As Paul writes in Romans 13:8-10: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
God beautifully demonstrates the power of love in His dealings with us: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:9-12).
The love of power motivates us to serve ourselves, but the power of love motivates us to serve one another and brings about the good things God desires.
Are you motivated by the love of power or the power of love?
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Having begun as a guest speaker in 2005, Dan was appointed Interim Pastor in 2008 and has been serving Maple Root Baptist ever since. As a small group leader and Chaplin for the Connecticut Tigers, Dan has a heart for the lost and the God that saves them.