1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NKJV) – “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,”
Paul desires to see the Thessalonian church increase in love for fellow believers and everyone else. The term he uses here is derived from the Greek root word ‘perisseuo’, which implies something that “overflows” or “spills over the top. His love for the people served as a model for the believers at Thessalonica. In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul named love as the greatest quality of the Christian life. In 1 John 4:7, the apostle John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
Friend, if we are full of God’s love, it will overflow. It’s not enough merely to be courteous to others; we must actively and persistently show love. It may be hard – or even impossible – to love certain people in our lives. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Our Lord Jesus is the greatest example of love – the very definition of love. Let us rely on His grace to love the unlovable just like Him.
Has your love remained unchanged for some time now? It’s time to ask the Lord to fill you again with his unending supply of unconditional love. Once you’ve been filled, go all out in expressing His love to those around you.
