But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared
Titus 3:4
Love cannot be hidden. It is not a secret and it never a ‘private’ affair. We cannot separate it from our public life, for it is life.
Character is the full expression of love in our choices. It is all the character attributes on display in real life choices. If you love someone or something, it will be seen in your choices and a part of your character.
If you love something but no one ‘sees’ it, then it is not love but a fantasy. Let’s be clear, I am not talking about romantic love. Those feelings of attraction you have for how someone looks. This love should (often) be hidden as the flesh thrives on it.
Love is the choice to value something for it’s intrinsic worth. It first looks to God and sees Him as the greatest value in the universe. He is the foundation or DNA of all values for only in Him is purpose and place clarified.
Love continues the journey in value and looks through God’s eyes and sees reality as it is and then looks through a heart of faith and sees what a person and their life can be in God. That and that alone is the basis of value and thus true love.
Let’s be absolutely clear, love and value are two sides of the same coin. You cannot value something and not make it an expression, a choice as a part of your life. If your love does not appear in your choices, it is not love for it has no value to you.
Every day we make our values appear in our choices. The work of the kingdom is to make a God who is worthy, the essence of all of those choices.