Character

Dear Victorious,

The Bible tells us to be generous, forgiving, merciful, etc. Is it possible that you could do things without love?

Keenan W. - The Dallis, WA

Dear Keenan,

I don't think so. Jesus said that, after loving God, the most important commandment we have is to love others. So I believe the intent is that love precedes everything else we are to do for others. Could you truly forgive someone if you didn't love them? Could you truly serve them if you didn't love them? Could you truly teach them if you didn't love them?

As you start to apply the context of love to each of these scenarios, we can see that love seems to make the difference. A school teacher, for example, is usually much more effective if the students are in relationship with that teacher. And so it is with each of the things we do for others. Like I said, after loving God, love for others is the most important thing and it seems to serve as the foundation for all other dimensions of our relationships in life.