Love is a Language

“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” -1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NIV)

Learning a new language can be notoriously difficult. There are two languages in which I am actively working towards achieving fluency, Hindi and Japanese. But as with any other foreign language, both these languages present challenges that must be overcome. One must get used to different sounds, learn a whole new set of vocabulary and idioms, and be able to correctly apply grammatical rules that can be vastly different from those of one’s native tongue. Yet those who have achieved fluency in another language testify to their discipline and humility as students. It takes that constant commitment to learn from textbooks, teachers, and native speakers in order to come to a point where one will be able to think, speak, and write in the language of their study.

Loving others is like a foreign language to our fallen nature. Since all of us have been corrupted by sin, it is hard for us to be fluent in love. Despite our best efforts to speak and show love to others, invariably we fall back on the language of our sinful nature which is pride and selfishness. Love is not something that comes to us naturally because sin has hindered our capacity to love with no conditions or limitations. Only Christ, who is love and perfect in His love, can teach us how to love each other as He has loved us. When we allow His Spirit to reside within us, He will train us in His love so that we may be able to speak life into others. But this can only happen when we have submitted ourselves wholly to His Spirit and with humility make that choice to surrender our attitudes to Him so that He may carry out His work in our lives. As we continue to keep in step with His Spirit and allow Him to teach us how to love, we will lose our fluency in sin and become conversant in His love and righteousness so that others will be drawn to Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.