As is my wont, last night before going to bed I read the day’s portions from Daily Light on the Daily Path. Here’s the morning’s section:
The fruit of the Spirit is love.
God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. — The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. — Unto you … which believe he is precious. — We love him, because he first loved us. — The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. — This is my com-mandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. — Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. — Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
GAL. 5:22. I John 4:16. -Rom. 5:5. -I Pet. 2:7. -I John 4:19. -II Cor. 5:14,15. I Thes. 4:9. -John 15:12. -I Pet. 4:8. -Eph. 5:2.
I got to thinking, “How do I try to avoid obeying the divine command to love? Do I figure there are other verses that somehow free me from obedience to this command? For instance, do I ever think that the imperative to confront error and sin somehow minimizes the overarching requirement to love?”
Let me ever remember this: All other commands hang from the twin commands to love.
It does not work the other way.
So let me love — first, foremost, last, in between, always.
Dropping that, I have nothing left upon which to securely hang any other obedience.
Period.
(You can read the evening’s section here as well: Daily Light on the Daily Path – March 1.)