LOVE CAN BE A HARD WORK

Dear Believer,

I want you to realize two things today, and both are very important.

The first is that love can be a hard work. The second is that God sees your efforts and your troubles as you love people for Jesus, and He will reward you.

Let me discuss each point.

We see this in the Word of God:

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10).

You can see here the terms ‘work’ and ‘labor of love.’ This is to show us that, first, God sees you when you work in His name, and second, He knows and appreciates it when you do it in love.

Some people have the misconception that when something is done in love, it must be easy, but that is not always so. It is called ‘labor of love’ because sometimes it is not easy.

Have you done your best to help people, even people of God, only to be disappointed in the end?

Have you worked for God with all your might only to see little results?

Have you actively engaged in helping people for the love of God only to suffer in one way or the other because of it? 

Some people have the misconception that when something is done in love, it must be easy, but that is not always so. It is called ‘labor of love’ because sometimes it is not easy.

Sometimes this happens because love can be a laborious work. The Apostles of Jesus Christ experience persecution in their labour of love. The kind of Christianity which only loves when it is easy is not of God.

Dear Believer, one thing to let sink into you is that God does not forget your works and labor of love. He sees everything and he takes note.

In Revelation, Jesus tells the churches repeatedly, “I know your works.” (Rev 2:2; 2:9; 2:13; 2:19; 3:1; 3:8; 3:15.

Hebrews 11:6 says God is a rewarder. He doesn’t forget your labor of love.

He will reward.

I tell you today to work for God, or more importantly to let him work in and through you. But it is absolutely important to let the work and labor you do for God be out of love for Him and the brethren.

God rewards only works and labor of love.
In one of the verses in 1 Corinthians 13 says,

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3).

You see, my dear Believer in Jesus, it is not the giving or the philanthropy only that matters to God, but also the love. Love is what makes your works acceptable an offering to God.

This is important because the motive behind so many people’s work for God is to enrich themselves, or to compete with others, or to show off their gifts and so on. But God only recognizes works and labor of love.

See again what the man of God said here. He gives ALL he has to the poor. He even gives his body to be burned to show that he cares, but it is not out of divine love. To God, this profits nothing.

In doing other good things without love, he says things like, “I’m just a noise maker” and “I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians Verses 1 and 2).

Dear Believer, do not forget this: God does not forget your works and labor; He rewards. But more importantly, He rewards love, so walk in love as you work for him.

Have great day.

From your friend,
Deon.
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For further studies, read 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.