If you had to sum it all up, what would you want the story of your life to be?
That’s a big question, but it’s one I’ve been thinking about after seeing the news that Dolly Parton passed away. So many stories are being shared about her life right now, and one thing I saw said about Dolly is that she always led with love.
What a thing to be known for.
That made me stop and ask myself, am I leading with love? Not just when it’s easy or when people agree with me or when I feel like being kind, but in the normal parts of my life. In my conversations. In my reactions. In the way I treat my family, my coworkers, my neighbors, and even people who frustrate me.
Because that is what Jesus told us to do. He said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
When someone passes away, you often hear stories about the fruit of their life. How they treated people. What they gave. What they stood for. How they made others feel. And I think I would really like the story of my life to be simple: he loved like Jesus.
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
That list starts with love. And if I want that kind of fruit to be seen in my life, it has to come from the Holy Spirit working in me. I can’t just decide to be loving in my own strength and expect that to hold up forever. I need God to grow that in me.