I Owe You Love!

Owe no man anything, but to love one another:
for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
--Romans 13:8

Valentines Day was right around the corner and Shanice wanted her night to be special. After all she felt as if that day was set aside just for her after all that she had done throughout the year for her boyfriend. She helped him out in school, she was at his side when he was sick, she cooked a meal or two when he was hungry, and now all she wanted was some flowers and a dinner, was that too much to ask for? Well Steve had something else in mind, in fact he knew very well all that Shanice had done for him throughout the year and well he thought that him just spending time with her everyday and being a listening ear when she needed one and a shoulder to cry on was his thanks to her. He brought her gifts throughout the year, but he didn’t think Valentine’s Day meant so much, because he showed her love all year!

How about us? Are we thinking we’re owed something in life like Shanice? Do we have debts? How many debts do we have? How many bills do we have to pay? How many favors do we owe our friends and families? What is the cost? What is the payment? The word of God says that the payment is love and that’s it!

So many times in life we try to make up for lost time with family members and friends by buying things or promising to do things in exchange for the guilt we may feel for not being there or for the price we feel must pay for their love, support, and care. In the end we feel that we owe those who were there for us something: maybe we borrowed money from them in the past, maybe they visited us in the hospital while we were sick, maybe they comforted us in the time of our loss, or maybe they just lent a helping hand to someone in need; but whatever the circumstance may have been, the result is the same—in exchange for their act of love and kindness, all we owe is love.

We can spend a lifetime paying off loans and cancelling mortgages and when those debts are cleared we feel relieved, but we do not feel love. It works the same way when dealing with others, we can spend a lifetime trying to repay all the things that others have done for us just to feel like we don’t owe them anything—that’s pride; but love appreciates the act of love by continuing to love others in the same manner. We sometimes soon forget the love that has been shown to us when the opportunity arises to demonstrate that same love in return.

The love of Christ paid every debt on the cross so that we wouldn’t have to continue to sacrifice to redeem ourselves from sin—He did it all by shedding His blood and dying on the cross for no greater love is there than this. So today let us forgive one another and walk in the fullness of love, for that’s all we owe!