Love is like a stream. Some days it flows and rushes, for there is plenty. On other days it trickles, and you can see it bouncing against the unseen rocks. But even when love is dry and has lost its flow and lies nearly empty on the muddy bottom, there is more love to come.

We remember how Jesus loved, how He forgave, and how He reached out to show He cared. By using Jesus as the Source of love, we can fill up the stream again. Life has the extra dimension found in Jesus Christ. He is the Authority on love. Jesus loves when love is hard. He loves when love is rejected. He loves when love makes little sense. Jesus loves when others would quit. Jesus loves when others are ugly. Jesus loves when others are cold. Jesus loves when others are unworthy.

And when we feel that love has dried up, we reach out to Him, and learn to love again.

When you give of yourself, when you go out of your way to be a friend, when you spend time with someone who's lonely or comfort someone who's sick, when you sympathize and help someone with their problems, when you make someone feel needed, you will find that it brings you a special kind of satisfaction and reward of spirit. Through performing these little acts of love and unselfishness, you will be blessed personally with happiness that can't be gotten any other way—the happiness of knowing that you have been a blessing to someone in need.

A good deed is never lost.—He who sows courtesy, reaps friendship; he who plants kindness, gathers love. —Basil of Caesarea (c. 329-379)

From Jesus with love

Love for others is a part of My divine nature, and when you receive Me, it becomes a part of yours too. Even though it is freely yours, you are still responsible to put it into practice and apply it. How? One step at a time, with one loving deed, followed by another, followed by another.

You can show My love to others in many ways—through forgiveness, mercy, kindness, thoughtfulness, concern, understanding, words of love, words of encouragement, words of praise, taking time to talk, taking time to listen, sympathizing, sharing the load, and giving of yourself even when it's least expected or least deserved.

Every time you share My love, love will come back to you. As you give more love, I will more than match you; I will pour My love into you in greater measure so that you have more to enjoy and more to share. "Give, and it will be given to you." That's My plan for giving—the more you give, the more you will receive.

From Jesus with love

My love is unconditional. I love without partiality. I love the unlovely and the difficult to love. I love the sad and the lonely. I love those who are struggling and those who are lost and confused. My love is enduring, patient, and unfailing. It knows no limits and has no stopping place. My love will go the distance to bring one lost, lonely, wounded soul through to victory.

Of course, you have weaknesses and shortcomings, but I don’t love you any less because of them. No matter what condition you are in, I love you. My love doesn’t depend on you having a glowing record. Don’t ever think that I love you any less because you aren’t all that you would like to be or think you should be. When I look at you, I see My creation that I love, and I love you just the way I made you.

Jesus’ love is perfect. There are a lot of things that are nice, beautiful, and wonderful, but nothing is perfect like His love. We live in an imperfect world, with imperfect humans, in imperfect conditions, but His love makes it possible for us to weather everything that comes our way.

Jesus’ love is free. That’s a good thing, too, because we all sin and make mistakes. If we had to earn Jesus’ love, none of us would have it.

Jesus’ love is everlasting. It can’t be stolen or forfeited. It doesn’t get old with the times or go out of style. It is traditional and historic, but also modern and current. It is always. He has loved us from the very beginning of time, and He will love us throughout eternity.

There’s an important and easily missed form of love that’s manifested in the small matters. For example, helping a person in need, preferring them over ourselves, showing sympathy when someone is stressed or worried, offering a prayer, or being a listening and sympathetic ear.

When we choose to take the time to stop and help someone in need, when we show love and concern for someone hurting, when we give of what we have, we become more loving. We leave a legacy of love behind us as we pursue our path of life.

Each of us has opportunities to make choices based on love for others, on wanting to help humankind. Each day, we can do kind deeds. Putting ourselves in others’ shoes and taking time to think about why people do what they do breeds sympathy, tolerance, and kindness.

From Jesus with Love

There is a special happiness and contentment that comes from putting others and their needs above your own. When you're doing something kind for someone, it doesn't just benefit them, it also benefits you. The happiness that comes through kind and caring and generous actions is not a light or frivolous satisfaction or pleasure; it's a much deeper feeling of fulfillment. You are letting My Spirit of love into the world around you, into the lives of others, and into your own life.

Look for ways to make someone else's day or week a little brighter, a little more enjoyable, a little more relaxing, a little more fun, a little less stressful, a little less burdened, a little less weary, a little less limiting. As you do, you're making your own day or week the same. Look for Me in others, and let them see Me in you too.

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Text courtesy of Activated Magazine. Used by permission.