Love is more powerful than hate

The word 'love' appears 280 times in the Bible, but hate only 85 times. Life appears 409 times, but death only 342 times. Is God trying to tell us something?

Our own faces tell the story. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile, yet our faces are lined with the way we scowl at each other all the time. Because our way is not God's way.

We sin, which means to do things our way, and we pay the price, which is death. We are terrified of death, but Jesus told us not to be afraid, because perfect love gets rid of fear.

And the only perfect love is the love of God for his creations. That's all of us (not just the good guys!).

Why do we keep doing things that don't work? And why won't we listen to God when he shows us the way that does work?

Jesus told us not to worry. He reminded us that we can't put an inch on our height by worrying about it. But his is the force that makes us grow from a tiny seed to an adult human being.

We've forgotten how to love, but he has already showed us how, when he allowed himself to be executed in our place, to pay the price of our sins. That's perfect love. And it's there for all.