I love pudding, especially banana pudding (although chocolate comes in as a close second). Who doesn’t love pudding? Maybe its the weird word or the way it makes your face look when saying it. Or that awkward moment when someone calls you pudding when your twelve and you think you’re grownup. How many of you have ever sang that Christmas song “We wish you a merry Christmas” and got to the line about bring us some figgy pudding and asked “what is that about”? I did some digging and realized that it is a a variation of a sixteenth century English tradition. While I won’t get into all the details of a weird figgy pudding. I got to thinking about the old saying “The proof is in the eating of the pudding”. This phrase means essentially that until you’ve tasted or experienced the pudding you don’t know how good it is, or what’s in it for that matter. To make a long story short. This got me to thinking about love.

Love must be more than a four letter word we whisper in the ear of a loved one, or just a phrase when we talk about how much we enjoy pudding. True God given love has to be more than religious jargon. In fact, it has to be more than just words. Love is action. Love goes beyond the words we say and extends in every area of our life. Simply put, the proof of love is in experiencing love and in the outcome of love. You must live love. It must be something tangible and real. The challenge is in our busy holiday season to not forget that love is for everyone. It must be demonstrated to our families after a long day’s absence. It must be given to those around us while we’re driving, whose morning commute has become identifiable to us by the reckless, frustrating way that they drive. It must be given to a world that is hurting and broken. It must be given to a world that seems to have everything together. It must be given to every person that we come in contact with. Jesus says that even our enemies are deserving of love! I for one am glad that Jesus said that, because I was once an enemy of God with no hope or love, but GOD demonstrated his great love for me in that while I was still a sinner. He sent his son to die for me. What a powerful message of love that we have to shed light on a world void of true Godly love.    

Just as the proof of the pudding is in the eating of the pudding, so the proof of love is in the experiencing and demonstrating of that love. God is love and once you have experienced him, you will be changed. This year don’t let love be the figgy pudding that carolers beg for, instead let it be the free gift poured out even before they ask. So without further adieu, let’s get out our recipe cards and get to work on some love pudding to share with a world around us!

May you experience the fullness of God’s love
Through your encounter with Christ
May the Love you encounter transform
Your daily existence.
May your daily existence cause someone else to
Experience the fullness of God’s abundant love.