Genuine love
I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings. ~ Hosea 6:6 (NLT)
Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. ~ Romans 12:9-10 (CEB)
Loving Lord, you expect us to be like you in our love for you and others. You want the love to be genuine. I confess that sometimes I fake love -- and I don't even know about how fake I am until I stop and think about it. Please save me from just going through the motions or putting on a show. I want to become a love expert. And I'm going to start by basking in the love of Jesus. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
