Love Must Be Sincere

By:

Gail Sattler

When we think of love and what God has to say about it, the first verse most of us think about is 1COR 13:4. But I would like to spend a little time with a verse that has a lot to do with love but also something else.

Romans 12:9 (NIV): Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Love must be sincere. What is sincere? We all know people who are all smiles and hugs, but we don’t really trust what they say when our backs are turned. That love is not sincere. When we do love, be honest, but when we don’t love, don’t fake it. Be nice, of course, be godly, but don’t be insincere. God wants us to be honest about love. When we don’t feel it, don’t fake it. Likewise, God’s people are allowed to hate; but there is a codicil. Hate what is evil. That’s very specific, and hate is a strong word. If you say you hate something, do you really hate it, or are you only annoyed? If it truly is evil, and you truly hate it, God is giving us instructions to do something about it, because it is evil, and you hate it. We aren’t to grit our teeth but smile politely and do nothing. Hate is active. If something is evil, and you are moved by it, then do something about it. Likewise, cling to what is good in the same way. Cherish what is good. Value it. And, do something about it to show how much you value it. Remember, love and hate are verbs.

Gail, thank you so much for sharing this devotional with us today. My dad always said, “Hate is a very strong word. Be careful when you use it.” That lesson has always stuck with me.

Gail Sattler lives in Vancouver BC (Canada, eh!) where you don’t have to shovel rain. Gail is the author of over 40 novels and novellas, and is always working on something new. When she’s not writing, Gail plays piano and/or bass in 3 bands. When she’s not writing or making music, Gail likes to read a book or take a walk with her new puppy.

Visit Gail’s website at www.gailsattler.com

Gail’s latest book MERCURY RISING is available on Amazon now!

Michael wants to save his daughter, but first he’s got to save the world.

Michael and Charlotte meet when Michael is trying to find Ashley, his missing daughter who has fallen into drug abuse, and Charlotte is searching for her son Jon, a brilliant and aspiring young scientist who has also gone missing.
Ashley and Jon should have nothing in common, but after the murder of Jon’s favorite professor, they become ensnared in a tangled web that becomes worse with every new discovery.

When Michael and Charlotte join together to figure what their children have become involved with, they, too, are sucked into a sinkhole for which there are no answers, only more questions.

When all seems lost, will they all recognize the source of strength offered to them, and… will they take it?

Thank you, readers, for joining me for my first devotional for the fall series, Faith & Fall. I hope you will be blessed by what these fellow authors have to say. Next week I will be hosting J. C. Morrows (and with a giveaway!).