“Above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”"  ~ 1 Peter 4:8  (NKJV)

Fervent Love…..What exactly does that mean?

To love someone fervently is to love with passionate, strong, fiery emotion (American Heritage Dictionary).   Do you remember how you felt on your wedding day?  Or the feeling you had when you realized someone you knew had become a cherished friend?  How about the deep emotion you feel when you look at your children?  Better yet, the overwhelming, intense affection you feel when you’re in the presence of God?

That’s the kind of love Peter was speaking of when he instructed us to “love one another with fervent love”. 

There’s two sides to this “thing called love”:  One is loving someone who loves you.  The other is loving someone who doesn’t love you – maybe an enemy, a lost or damaged relationship, an abusive spouse or parent, etc…….

Christ calls us to love as He loves.  For the record, that doesn’t mean  we have to love the evil that people sometimes do or, in an abusive situation, that we have to continue to allow ourselves to be abused.  What it means is that we have to keep our hearts from offense, see people through the eyes of Christ, walk in forgiveness, and honestly love people with Christ-like love.

Loving the people who love us is relatively simple.  The danger with these relationships is that we can easily become complacent, taking them for granted, and failing to love with fervency.

Loving people who don’t love us can be difficult.  The goal with these relationships is to pray continually, overcoming hurts and disappointment, until we can honestly say and know in our hearts that we truly love those who do not show love to us.

Just as we need God’s grace, love, and mercy every day that we live, we have to learn to grant that same kind of grace, love and mercy to others.  For the Word says, with what measure we give, in that same measure we will receive.

No matter where you’re at in your relationships, let me encourage you today:  Take a few moments to honestly evaluate yourself.  Pray about your relationships and ask God to help you love others with intense, passionate, affectionate love!