Love​—Na Better Character

APOSTLE PAUL write about the nine character wey God holy spirit dey make us get. Na Jehovah use im holy spirit direct Paul to write am. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Bible call this nine character ‘the fruit wey the spirit dey bear.’a And all of dem dey among ‘the new character’ wey Bible talk about. (Col. 3:10) For example, if person want make the tree wey e plant produce well, e go sitdown take care of am. So if person want get this better character wey God spirit dey help person get, e go allow God spirit to dey direct im life.​—Ps. 1:1-3.

Na love be the first character wey Paul mention. Wetin make love dey special? Paul talk sey im no ‘be anything’ If e no get love. (1 Cor. 13:2) But wetin love really be, how we go take get am and how we go take dey show am everyday?

WETIN BE LOVE?

Word no dey wey fit really explain wetin love be. But Bible tell us how person take dey show am. For example, Bible tell us sey: ‘Love dey patient and e get good mind.’ E still tell us sey love ‘dey happy with wetin’ correct. Love ‘dey bear everything, believe everything, put mind sey everything go better and endure everything.’ Another thing be sey person wey get love dey use all im mind show am. The person still dey show sey e really get people for mind, and the love wey e get for dem no dey fail. But na once dem take dey know person wey no get love. E dey raise shoulder up, dey behave anyhow, dey tight hand and e dey jealous people. If person do am something e no dey comot am for mind, and e no dey forgive. If we want get love, we no go show all this kind bad character. E good make we dey show sey we get real love. Real love no dey find wetin go only favor am.​—1 Cor. 13:4-8.

JEHOVAH AND JESUS SHOW US BETTER EXAMPLE ABOUT LOVE

Bible talk sey: ‘God na love.’ This one mean sey everything about Jehovah na love. (1 John 4:8) The things wey Jehovah make and the things wey e dey do show sey na really true. God show us the love wey big pass as e send im son to come die for us. Na this one make John talk sey: ‘This love mean sey, no be we first love God, but na im first love us. Na im make am send im Son as sacrifice to cover our sin.’ (1 John 4:9, 10) So, because God love us, e dey forgive our sin, we get better hope, and we fit get life we no go end.

Jesus self show sey e love us. Na im make am agree to do wetin Jehovah want. Jesus ‘talk sey: “See! I don come do wetin you want.” Because Jesus do wetin God want, we don dey clean as Jesus sacrifice im body once and for all.’ (Heb. 10:9, 10) The love wey we get no fit reach Jesus own. Jesus talk sey: ‘Nobody get love wey pass this one, sey one person go die for im friends.’ (John 15:13) Even though sey we get sin for body, we fit copy the better example of love wey Jehovah and Jesus show. Make we see how we go take do am.

‘MAKE WE DEY SHOW LOVE’

Paul talk sey: ‘Make una dey follow God example as pikin wey e love well well, make we dey show love just as Christ first love us and die for us.’ (Eph. 5:1, 2) ‘Make we dey show love’ for everything wey we dey do. No be just to talk am for mouth, but we go show am for wetin we dey do. John talk sey: ‘My pikin dem, make we love, no be for talk or for mouth, but make e show for wetin we dey do and make e dey real.’ (1 John 3:18) Make we show God and our neighbor sey we love dem. One way we fit do this one na to dey ‘preach this good news about God Kingdom.’ (Matt. 24:14; Luke 10:27) Another way to show people sey we love dem na when we dey treat dem with better mind, dey patient and dey forgive dem. Na im make Bible talk sey: ‘As Jehovah take dey use all im mind forgive una, make una still dey do like that.’​—Col. 3:13.

If we advise people or correct dem e no mean sey we no love dem. For example, when some papa and mama see sey their pikin dey cry, dem go do anything wey the pikin want make e no cry again. But papa or mama wey really love im pikin no dey do everything wey im pikin want. E dey correct im pikin when e suppose to. Na so Jehovah still be. We know sey God love us. Bible talk sey: ‘Na person wey Jehovah love e dey correct.’ (Heb. 12:6) We dey show love when we correct person wey do wetin e no suppose do. (Prov. 3:11, 12) Make we remember sey we get sin for body. This one fit make us no dey show love sometimes. All of us get where wey we need to dey show love pass as we dey do before. How we go take do am? Make we see three things wey fit help us.

WETIN GO HELP US TO DEY SHOW LOVE

The first thing wey we go do na to beg God for im spirit. Jesus tell us sey Jehovah dey ‘give holy spirit to people wey beg am.’ (Luke 11:13) So make we dey pray for holy spirit and dey allow am to ‘direct’ us. This one go come help us to dey show love more more. (Gal. 5:16) If you be elder, e good make you dey beg God for im spirit. God spirit go help you to dey show love when you dey use Bible advise people. If you be papa or mama, e still good make you beg God for im spirit to help you know how to correct your pikin. That spirit go help you to dey show love when you dey correct your pikin.

The second thing wey go help us na to dey think about Jesus example. Jesus show love even when people dey suffer am. (1 Pet. 2:21, 23) E good make we dey always remember Jesus example. Jesus example go help us when person make us vex or when dem do us partial. If this kind thing happen to us, e good make we ask ourself sey, ‘If na Jesus dem do am to, wetin e go do?’ E get one sister wey im name na Leigh. This question help am think well when something happen. The sister talk sey: “For the place where I dey work, my workmate send message to other people wey we dey work together. E spoil my name give dem and e talk bad thing about the work wey I dey do. E pain me reach bone. But I come ask myself sey, ‘How I go take copy Jesus example as this thing happen?’ After I don think about wetin Jesus for do, I no make trouble with am. I just forget about the matter. Na later I come know sey that my workmate no well and stress dey finish am. I come tell my self sey may be e no really dey im mind to spoil my name.” So if we dey copy Jesus example, we go continue to show love.

The third thing wey go help us na to get real love for our brothers and sisters. This love go make us do anything for dem. And this kind love dey make people know sey we really dey follow Jesus. (John 13:34, 35) Bible tell us sey make we ‘dey think and behave like Jesus Christ.’ When Jesus come this earth, ‘e leave everything’ for heaven. And because e love us, e even die for us. (Phil. 2:5-8) Make we copy the kind love wey Jesus get. This one go help us to dey think and do things like am. And e go still help us to put other people matter before our own. Make we see other better things wey we go gain if we dey show love.

WETIN WE GO GAIN IF WE DEY SHOW LOVE

Plenty gain dey when we dey show love. Make we see two of dem:

• ALL OF US BE LIKE ONE FAMILY: We love ourself and we dey show am. No matter the congregation wey we go for this world, brothers and sisters go welcome us well. Our ‘brothers wey dey everywhere for this world’ love us. This one no be big blessing? (1 Pet. 5:9) E get any other place wey we fit see this kind love? For where, e no dey!

• PEACE: Love dey make us ‘bear wetin people do’ us. Na this one dey make us enjoy ‘peace wey dey keep’ us together. (Eph. 4:2, 3) We dey see this peace for our congregation, assembly and when we go convention. E easy to see this kind peace for this world wey don turn up side down? (Ps. 119:165; Isa. 54:13) When we do everything to make peace with people, e dey show sey we really love dem. And this one dey make our Papa for heaven happy.​—Ps. 133:1-3; Matt. 5:9.

‘LOVE DEY MAKE PERSON GROW’

Paul talk sey: ‘Love dey make person grow.’ (1 Cor. 8:1) How? E explain am for 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Some people dey call this chapter the “Psalm of Love.” One thing be sey, person wey get love dey put eye for wetin go favor other people. (1 Cor. 10:24; 13:5) E dey think about other people and e no like to do wetin go vex person. E dey patient and get better mind. Na love dey make family strong. E still dey make congregation get one mind.​—Col. 3:14.

The love wey big pass and wey dey help us pass na the one wey we get for God. We come from different place and dey speak different language. But the love wey we get for Jehovah dey make us happy and serve am with one mind. (Zeph. 3:9) True true, love na better character wey God spirit dey help us get. Make we ready to dey show this better character everyday.