That Your Love May Abound

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

The love of the Philippians was evident to Paul during his imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel (Phil. 1:7). Love clearly was not lacking in the Philippians but there is always space for more! Paul’s prayer was that their love would “abound more and more.”

This prayer for love was not a merely sentimental or warm and fuzzy love but a sincere and transformative love for one another and for God’s ways. This type of love inspires a desire for what is excellent and results in loving action and obedience to Christ. It is both a feeling and an action, which cannot be separated from one another. We were not made to be emotionless robots who simply carry out a task. Nor were we made for a shallow or inactive love. Rather, when real, sincere love abounds in us, we are compelled by love for God, for our neighbours, and for goodness to then know what is good and right, to desire what is good and right, and to do what is good and right. Let us pray with Paul that our love would abound more and more so that with knowledge and discernment we will be driven to active love for Christ and others and that the fruit of righteousness will be produced in us!