“Love everybody, always.”

These words are the theme to Bob Goff’s newest book, appropriately titled Everybody Always.

Bob Goff is quite the interesting guy.  He sky dives with his son on weekends.  He pretends to be a wax figure at Madame Tussauds wax museum.  He even toilet papers a neighbors house with a woman dying of cancer. (true story).

I found myself laughing out loud as I turned the pages of this wonderful book.

In fact, it’s wonderfully, life changing.

See, as I found myself amused with the stories he shares, I am also challenged by his words to love always.

I always knew kindness was the key, the gateway to God’s love and a human heart.  I usually make it a point to be kind to people I come across.  Yet, sometimes I am faced with the challenge of loving others I don’t agree with.  Or of holding a grudge against someone who hurt me long ago.

But God loves me every second of every day.

He picks me up when I am down.  And he welcomes me in His arms every day.  He lovingly gives me second chances and people.

He gives me these people to love.

To many of us, love comes easy.  Love others, be loved.  Easy as breathing.

But if we were completely honest with ourselves, we also see that we don’t love 100 percent of the time.  I’m not really an expert, just a novice that understands,

“Wow.  Everyone needs love.”

Everyone.  The person at the grocery store.  The person who annoys you at work.  The person who just cut you off in traffic.  The ex boyfriend and ex girlfriend.  The person who you need to forgive.

Even that random person on social media.  See I am a firm believer that God puts people in our paths for a reason.  Maybe you could be that person’s healing, that person who brightens their day.

So now that we know we need to love, what is love exactly?

 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor  others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

 

This is so key to living a victorious life in Christ.  Christ said “Love your neighbor as yourself.” and this was considered one of the Greatest Commandments.

It is our highest calling to love others who are different than us.

Don’t be afraid to love.  Reach out right now, touch someone you know.

Love protects the innocent.  Love heals the blind.

Love is  a beautiful thing.