“Love Tree”

This morning I read this verse in Proverbs: “Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses” (10:12, NLT). There’s a lot of depth in that little verse. All offenses. It’s similar to 1 Peter 4:8 – “love covers a multitude of sins.” I think of all those scenarios throughout my day where I have a choice of responding in love or “quarrels”: when my husband has neglected to take out the trash, when my neighbor has parked (again!) on my grass, when my coworker has forgotten to tell me the meeting time was moved up, when the BMW cuts me off on my drive home, etc., etc. And don’t get me started on the in-laws! There are so many opportunities for me to either take offense or respond in love. Usually I think as long as I don’t do or say anything, I’m fulfilling the letter of the law. But what’s in my heart? Am I thinking loving thoughts that cover the offense, or am I keeping score or feeling justifiably annoyed?

It seems a little distant to me, that kind of love that naturally breathes forgiveness and mercy and grace. Sometimes I feel that way about all the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control (Galatians 5:22). I think, how can I have those as my automatic response to life?

I think the first thing I need to understand about fruit is that it is not for my own benefit. I like to think, “God, give me more love in my life, give me peace, give me joy,” as though these are things that God gives to us to make us happy. But the Scriptural analogy of fruit is that the fruit is something produced in us (not given to us) so that it can be offered to others … an apple tree doesn’t produce apples so it can eat them, the apples are for others to eat. And the biological purpose of fruit is to spread seeds … which ties in to another Scriptural analogy, the planting of seeds. Another purpose of fruit is service – feeding each other.

How is your love tree doing? I think mine definitely needs watering.