Focus: Anything For Love!

Text: Gen.29:20

"And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her."

Jacob served seven years for a wife because of love. He subjected himself to working like a slave for the sake of love. No sacrifice is too much for love. Imagine seven-year hard work and wealth committed to love! I believe that as blood is thicker than water, so is love stronger than blood. Love transcends blood, gender, race, and religion.

I repeat that no sacrifice is too much for love. No service is too much for love. No forgiveness is too much for love. No giving is too much for love. No labor is too much for love. The Apostle Paul talks about "the labor of love." Love reduces the pain of labor and the inconvenience of sacrifice.

What can love not do? The Scripture says, "And Jonathan STRIPPED himself of the ROBE that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his GARMENTS, even to his SWORD, and to his BOW, and to his GIRDLE" (1Sam.18:4). Jonathan gave all of these items away to David for love. We read, "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan LOVED him as his own soul" (1Sam.18:1). Jonathan's love for David overflowed to the point where he gave him with reckless abandon.

Love makes limitless sacrifices. One can make sacrifices without love, but no one can love without making sacrifices.

Real love cares, serves, gives, forgives and makes sacrifices. Be it in fair or foul weather, love always stands out. Anything for love! Real love will strip you of what you have for another to have it. Love suffers for another without feeling the pain of it. Jacob didn't feel the pain of seven years of hard labor because love was the reason for it. Anything for love! Remember the words of Francis of Assisi:

"Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage."

by Bishop Moses E. Peter