Love Is Meaningful Work
MEMORY VERSE:
“You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have
not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”
Revelation 2: 3-4
INTRODUCTION
“He/She doesn’t love me anymore!” These must be the most painful words that a grandparent, a spouse, a parent or a child can ever utter… and yet how many of us are not guilty of the same offense?
I. Love requires hard work.
o Love needs to be said.
o Love needs to be shown.
II. Working for love is meaningless unless it is dedicated to somebody.
o One’s life is only worth living when one has found someone worth dying
for; God set the example.
o One’s life is only worth living when one has found someone worth dying
for; we must live as an example.
III. Love’s work is never done.
o God’s love’s work for us is never done.
o Our love’s work for God, through God, is never done.
CONCLUSION
Love and work are irrevocably tied with each other because neither can be pleasurable unless they co-exist. We need to love but we need to love with God’s love. Only thus can we never miss every chance of loving as fiercely (if not more) than we ever did before.
REFLECTION: Let us ask ourselves the following questions:
o Do I know who I love?
Who is number one on my list? Is it God? Why or why not?
Why is it necessary to put God on the number one slot on my love list?
Who else do I love?
Do I love them as much as man ever can?
How can I love them as God wants them to be loved?
o Do I work on my love?
If so, how do I work on my love through my speech and through my
actions?
If not, how will I work on my love through my speech and through
my actions?
o When are the times when I feel most encouraged to say and show my
love?
Do I say and show my love during these times? Why or why not?
Do I cultivate the same situations for others so they can also say
and show their love?
o When do I feel tired of loving?
What do I do during those times?
What do I ask God to do during those times?
o Have I told my loved ones, lately, that I love them?
Why? How?
Why not? What am I doing about it? When do I plan to do what I
have resolved to do? Why?
APPLICATION:
= prayer of commitment =
Father God, thank You for showing me the indispensability of love and work. Forgive me for the times I passed up on saying and showing love. Forgive me for the times I insisted on showing my love rather than Your love through me. I give up all the love I have to You that Your love may manifest through me. In words and in deeds. Amen.
= statement of commitment =
Whenever I feel tired of loving, I will look on You. And I will ask you to constantly open my failing my eyes, assist my aching hands and feet in love with You and through You.
CLOSING PRAYER
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