Love Is A Verb

                                      The blog themes for this month are: February and Love. We hope you enjoy these posts!

By Melissa Cox

Love is a verb

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?     James 2: 14-16 NIV

I remember a story a pastor told about God repeatedly calling him to approach a homeless man begging in front of our local Walmart. Even though he didn’t want to, the pastor brought the beggar lunch and just as he suspected, the homeless man asked the pastor for something more.  Pray for me.

So the pastor took his dirty hands in his and prayed for him in the median, cars passing on both sides. We expect that kind of faith and obedience from a pastor, but what happened next humbled the pastor and me.

When the pastor finished, instead of letting go of his hands, the homeless man began to pray for the pastor.  

I cried when I heard this story because I realized that my faith and my actions were empty.  Lord, how many opportunities to pray for someone have I allowed to pass by me? How many times has someone shared their suffering and needs with me and I have I uttered “I’ll pray for you” but walked away forgetting my pledge and their need almost immediately?  How many times have my words been as empty as my promise? 

I heard this story two years ago and it changed me. Whenever someone asks me for prayer, I immediately pray over them. No matter where we are. I have prayed for friends, co-workers, and total strangers inside Walmart, doctor’s offices, school buildings, parking lots, public bathrooms, and hospitals. Sometimes, I just hug them and whisper a quick prayer.  Sometimes, I begin praying for them even before they finish the sentence. 

It’s awkward sometimes, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I act.

Words are not enough. It’s time for our faith to express itself in love and not just with empty words.  Love is a verb.  It’s a call to action. 

Melissa Cox is a Georgia native and has lived in Wilmington for almost 10 years. She’s a wife and the mother of 3 kids, 2 dogs, and one cat. She dreams of being a famous inspirational speaker, who writes life changing books and lives in a tropical paradise. She currently serves as Chaplain of the Wilmington Word Weavers group.