Labor of Love

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

The labor of Love is a work of the spirit that is well pleasing to God. When we think of Love we don’t generally think of it in terms of work or labor. The scripture here in Thessalonians describes Love as labor.

Now, many times people consider the word labor to be a negative word. A word associated with pain and strenuous effort. They see it as hard work and struggle.

The word labor defined:

• The supply of work or workers for a particular job, industry, or employer.

• Work done using the strength of the body.

I like the term supply of work; to me it implies giving of what you already have. When you give and do your part out of the supply that you already have it takes the struggle out. God does not expect us to do anything in our own strength. He supplies all our needs so that we can work in love. Labor of Love speaks boldly to us that Love is our business or work while we are here on the earth. Everything we do should be born out of the Love of God.

The term strength of the body in the definition above caught my attention in that labor should be a unified force. Every member of the body doing their part working together for the cause of Christ. When every part is doing its work of faith, and labor of love it produces a greater ease, a quicker and more efficient work.

So as you work for the Kingdom of God today remember it is a Labor of Love employed by Love.