Love Heals

I vividly recall the effect of these words after I was hurt in a relationship: “I’m sorry, I love you.” Those few words changed everything. Why? Because love heals. We live in a broken world where we sin, hurt others, get hurt by others, and need forgiveness. Experiencing forgiveness enables us to give and receive love, allowing us to receive the healing that love brings. 

We live in a culture where we are saturated with images and ideas about love that are twisted and distorted. Interestingly, if you look in a dictionary the first definition often indicates that love is a feeling of affection. In other words, love is what one feels. The Bible explains love differently. 

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16Close1 John 3:16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NIV).

That seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? Love isn’t based on an emotion or feeling. It’s based on an action—that Jesus Christ gave up His life for us—a demonstration of great sacrifice.

As I look to Jesus, I see someone who loves me so much that He died so that He might heal me. His death was the greatest demonstration of how love heals. Without Jesus’ death on the cross, no one could have a relationship with God. We all deserve to simply die in our sickness called sin. And yet Jesus says, “My love will heal you.”

We share stories every day on The 700 Club Canada of people whose lives have been changed because of the truth of love. In one of the stories a man named Zach shared, “Love is what heals sickness. Love is what sets prisoners free, and love is what tears down walls. Love is what gave me my life back.”

We are reminded in Scripture that we are to follow Jesus’ example and love whether we feel like it or not.

And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:16Close1 John 3:16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , 17-18 NIV).

Can you think of some ways that you can show love today and bring healing to someone? Maybe it’s a simple confession: “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” Maybe it’s giving up your time or your resources to help another. Maybe it’s looking for ways to help out, to pitch in, or to help carry a burden.

Love heals when we take action. Let us be people of love today because that’s courageous living.

Prayer of Commitment

Dear God, thank You for laying down Your life for me. Help me to love others through my actions and so bring healing into their lives.