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It was on Paul's second missionary journey that he visited the city of Philippi, a city about ten miles inland from the shores of the Aegean Sea.
Paul had to travel nine hundred miles in order to get to Philippi. What a commitment he made so that he could share the Good News to people who had never heard about Jesus. It was here that a woman by the name of Lydia accepted Christ as her Savior. No wonder Paul could pen these words in the first chapter of Philippians: "I thank God every time I remember you" and "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus" (1:3, 8 NIV).
The meaning of his words is simple: "I love you, and I care for you."
When I was a public school administrator, I would tell my staff: "The kids do not care how much we know, until they know how much we care."
As believers, we are to care. Paul states this in a prayer from Philippians 1:9 where he says, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight."
It is my belief that Paul is saying that love is not a stagnant emotion. As we learn more about God's love for us, a love that sent His son to a cross and a love that surpasses knowledge, we grow in love. We should "abound" in love.
How does that happen? How does our love "abound?"
It abounds when we understand that God's love never fails. It abounds when we understand that God's love follows us all the days of our lives and that God's love is better than life itself. It means that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind and that we must love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).
John said it well in his gospel. John 13:35 states, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Love, abounding love, is our testimony as believers. Love is what others see, and as our love matures, people see Christ in us.
My friends, we are living in unprecedented times. Did you ever think that 2020 would bring the world to an economic shutdown? People are scared, concerned, and struggling. Then add the protests, rioting, and looting that our major cities are experiencing to our pandemic concerns.
Often our tendencies are to ask why. Why would a loving God allow this? The chaos began because the world witnessed an act of hate, and that hate brought about more hate.
However, the good news is that God is in control and still loves us. He loved the world and sent his son to die for us. Believing that, we will spend eternity basking in His love.
My prayer is, until that time, we will learn from the Apostle Paul. Remember that this man went from hating Christians to loving everyone. He could then write these words: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more" (Philippians 1:9).
What the world needs now is love.
Pastor Gary R. Messinger, Cedar Run Baptist Church, Route 414, Cedar Run