GPBC Blog

I love the month of February for many reasons. Not only is it my birth month, but it is also widely known as the “month of love.” However, as Christians, love should not be tied to a particular month. Instead, it should define every day, week, month, and year of our lives. Love is a topic dear to my heart, though I doubt my fondness for it has anything to do with being born in February. My appreciation for love stems from witnessing it in action while growing up.

My mother, a simple, loving, Christian woman, modeled love in its truest form. She loved God with all her heart and demonstrated this love by loving those around her. She was generous, selfless, and compassionate, always willing to help neighbors in need. Whether by providing material assistance, offering her time, or praying with them, she never hesitated to extend herself. Her actions taught me that loving God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, is the ultimate way to serve Him. As we’ve been learning in Dick Middlebrook's Sunday morning class, our righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and Sadducees only when we not only love God but also love others as ourselves.

From my mother, I learned that love isn’t about convenience. It often requires sacrifice and a willingness to give without expecting anything in return. I remember a moment during my undergraduate days when I asked my dad if I could take a table fan back to school. He laughed and said, "no," jokingly calling me “Santa Claus” because he believed the fan would never return home. I smiled because, in truth, he wasn’t far off—I have always found joy in sharing with others, even at a personal cost.

One of my favorite scriptures is, “He that gives to the poor lends to the Lord” (Proverbs 19:17). It’s humbling to think about lending to the Creator of all things: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). How much “interest” might He repay us for such a gesture? In my life, I’ve seen God’s faithfulness in ways that underscore this principle. People often ask how we came to live in this country or how two of my oldest children attended a private boarding high school in California, followed by college opportunities. The journey is a testament to God’s provision.

Back in Nigeria, my two oldest daughters started playing tennis at ages six and three. Over the years, they became quite skilled and began representing Nigeria in international tournaments. I frequently traveled with them for matches in various countries. Despite the demands of these travels, we never stopped helping those in need as the Lord enabled us. Recognizing that the girls needed better opportunities, both for tennis and life in general, we began praying and trusting God for a way forward. To our amazement, the Nigerian federal government offered both girls full scholarships to pursue academics and tennis abroad, covering their education from middle school through college. Moreover, we were allowed to choose the country of their studies.

This was a vivid reminder of God’s faithfulness: when we lend to the Lord, He always pays back abundantly.

Love, as I’ve come to understand, is far more than a feeling or emotion. It is an action word—a verb. Love is demonstrated through acts of kindness, support, patience, and understanding. It is intentional, requiring us to look beyond ourselves to meet the needs of those around us. Sometimes, love is as simple as saying hello, offering a listening ear, or giving a heartfelt hug. Love can be expressed in countless ways, big and small. Remember, “….What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

Ultimately, the greatest commandment is this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). May we strive to live this out daily, letting love be the defining mark of our lives.