seasons of love: intentionally seeking & spending love in 2024

I started writing this post in February, feeling inspired by all the lovey-dovey-ness of Valentine’s Day… I’ve revisited it a few times throughout the year, adjusting the title each time to account for whatever season it was. I was obviously being overly optimistic because it is now DECEMBER and I’m finally finishing the post. And with the year coming to an end, it feels appropriate to zoom out and think about how we can prioritize love in every season of the year, every season of life.

This year has been interesting. I’ve had some high peaks and some low valleys. But through it all, I am learning the importance of intentionally pursuing love in all areas of my life.

If I’m not seeking deeper and wider love in my relationship with God, I have no motivation to act on His word. If I’m not pouring into my relationships with friends and family, I am missing out on such abundant joy. If I’m not caring for my own body and mind, I feel spiritually dull, and I can’t fully show up in my relationships.

All that to say, I want to seek love and spend love every chance I get. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

love God

When asked what the most important commandment was, Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) Pretty straightforward. Step 1: Love God. Check. It’s the second half of the verse that starts feeling convicting…

How often am I giving ALL of my heart, soul, mind, and strength to God? By the time I get home from work each day, I’m fresh out of strength. So in my exhausted state, I give my mind to the world by scrolling or streaming for hours on end. It seems innocent in the moment, but the sad result: God has been getting my leftovers.

It is my desire to give my whole life to God. I want to trust Him to direct my steps. I want my thoughts to align with His thoughts. I want to lead others to deeper relationship with Him. But if I’m not prioritizing my time with God, I can’t expect to see that kind of growth.

Thankfully, He doesn’t expect us to figure it out and do it perfectly on our own. He offers grace upon grace and gives us all the encouragement we could ever need through His Word. If your heart, soul, and mind are weary and you’re feeling low on strength, He has all the strength you need.

“Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.” (Psalm 28:6-8)

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

love your neighbor

Jesus kinda threw a curveball when he answered that “most important commandment” question… because he actually gave them two. “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)

So I’m supposed to use 100% of my heart, soul, mind, and strength to love God… and then also still love people? The math ain’t mathin’ (as the kids say). Never fear. Loving God and loving people go hand in hand, no extra percentage required.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

So, loving our neighbors is almost a prerequisite for loving God. But loving people can be really hard… especially if we’ve been hurt. But again, we don’t have to do it alone.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.” (1 John 4:16-17)

“In this world we are like him.” As God’s people, we have the responsibility to show His love to the world. We are His body. We are made in His image. We are meant to be like Him, and love is the way.

“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

love yourself

“Love your neighbor as yourself” implies an assumption that we do love ourselves. This assumption is spelled out even more clearly in Ephesians 5:29-30: “After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body.”

We are actually, scripturally called to love ourselves. Not to be vain or selfish, but to deeply care for ourselves. Speak kindly to ourselves. Nourish ourselves with physical and spiritual food. But of course, this is way easier said than done.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a self-obsession epidemic in this generation. This manifests itself as both vanity and self-loathing. Most of us have a nagging voice in our heads telling us we’re unlovable, which we then try to combat with mantras about how perfect we are. News flash: neither is true.

Each of us is deeply flawed. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” We all have sin struggles — some that we are painfully aware of, others that we are ignorant of. We have all hurt someone and been hurt by someone. We have trauma and weakness and fear. But we are also deeply loved by the Creator of the universe. His love is greater. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

love your enemy

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

Being perfect in love means loving when it’s hard. Loving when it’s scary. Loving when it’s a one-way street. “Enemy” feels like such a strong word, but who are some people in your life that you struggle to love? Maybe it’s someone who hurt you and you never quite forgave them. Maybe it’s someone that just grinds your gears. Whoever comes to mind, say a prayer for them right now. “Father, I pray that you would be with ____ today. Let them experience your unfailing love. Soften my heart towards them and help me to treat them with kindness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

We love because he first loved us. Our ability to love anyone well comes from God, not from within ourselves. God loves you no matter what, but if you’re not paying attention, it’s going to be really hard to feel it, which means it’s going to be really hard to give it. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

fill your cup

On the brink of a new year, it is always tempting to think up a miraculous new version of ourselves that we expect to become overnight. I have quite an image, myself. But I am trying to break my goals into baby steps and limit myself to focusing on one or two things each month. For January, I’m going to focus on writing and cooking, because I already have some good momentum and excitement about those things. In February, maybe I’ll feel ready to start exercising more often… or maybe I’ll opt for something easier on my list, like reading. But all of my options are cup-fillers, ways to care for my body, mind, and spirit.

If I’m going to love God and others well, I must take care of myself. Otherwise, I can’t fully show up. But it’s not about inflating my ego with shallow affirmations, or giving into the draw of excessive physical comfort and calling it “rest.” It’s about seeking the absolute truth of God’s Word, spending time with Him in prayer, receiving the complete and perfect love that only He can give. When we seek His love, we will always find it. (Matthew 7:7-8)

It’s all about love, friends. Every action, every moment. Do it for love.