We know that we are called to love one another deeply. In the message translation it reads…

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. 1 Peter 4:8 (The Message)

I love how it says that love makes up for practically anything. 

We need to love each other deeply which means even when it is hard or even if it hurts we still need to respond in love. And not just the fluffy love, but that deep down fully committed kind of love.

I am seeing how that deep love heals wounds of our past, wounds we didn’t even know were there. We are a Foster Care family, and in the Foster Care system there are plenty of broken and hurting people. Both the children who are placed into Foster Care and their parents and family are all broken and hurting.

I have seen first hand how deep love can heal wounds. How when you put your whole self into loving and caring for someone you can begin to see their hearts begin to open up and to heal.

They begin to trust again and have hope that there is a bright future ahead of them.  They feel that they are no longer alone in this big wide world but that there is actually somebody who loves and cares for them deeply. Somebody who cares when they are hurting, who cares when they are sad and lonely and somebody who will hold them through all this pain.

Loving deeply looks like devotion, compassion, caring, concern, warmth, friendliness, friendship, kindness, charity, goodwill, sympathy, kindness, unselfishness, brotherliness, sisterliness, humanity.

It is not just saying that I will pray for you when you are facing difficulties and despair, loving deeply looks like stopping right where you are and instantly praying for them releasing hope and healing words into them. It is not saying I hope you feel better soon when your friend is unwell it is going above and beyond to care and provided for them in their time of need. It is going completely out of your way, out of your comfort zone and even making sacrifices to put somebody else’s needs above your own.  It is helping the poor, the orphan and the widow. It is being the hands and feet of Jesus to a broken and hurting world.

So love oneanother deeply. Your deep love can make up for practically anything. It can make up for past hurts, pain and brokenness. It can make up for loneliness, hopelessness and depression. Deep love releases hope, healing, life and freedom. Love someone deeply today, you will not regret it.