Priming the Pump of Love

Priming the Pump

Although my South Georgia grandparents had indoor plumbing, they also had an outdoor hand pump on their back porch. As someone who grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D. C., that pump fascinated me. If you are unfamiliar with the way a hand pump works, priming the pump first is a must.

To do that, you pour a glassful of water into the pump. If you don’t, it won’t matter how hard you pump the handle, you won’t draw up a drop of water from the well. Once the water starts to flow, you need to keep pumping the pump handle until you have all the water you want.

An essential thing to remember is to make sure you fill a glass with water for the next time before you quit pumping. That is extremely important. You can’t pump water if you don’t have that glass of water to get it started.

By now you may be wondering where I’m going with this, so I’ll tell you.

Priming the Pump of Love

In 1 John, John goes a little bit around in a circle to tell us that as children of God, we must love one another, because God is love, and love comes from God.

Sort of like priming the pump. We can ask God to help us love others, but it isn’t until we make the effort to love that it will be accomplished. We have to use our glass of love that came from God’s well to prime the pump, so God’s love will flow through us to others.

God takes that little glass of love we reserved from the love he gives, and brings up love from his never-ending well for us to give to others. Before you know it, love is pouring freely.

Priming the Pump of the Love of the Father

We could stand at that pump all day long, pumping our little hearts out, but unless we prime the pump first, experience the love of the Father, we won’t draw anything from our well.

If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us. That’s what John tells us.

As a child on my grandparent’s back porch, to my small arms getting that water started was quite the chore. Even when I stood on a wooden crate to reach the handle. Sometimes, an older relative stepped in to help get the water flowing.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes as a child of God, we have difficulty priming the pump to get the flow of love started? Especially when God calls us to love those who have hurt us.

Those co-workers or neighbors who drive us absolutely crazy. The ones around us who don’t share our religious belief. People who don’t share our values. Priming the pump of love can be difficult. Can it not?

Call on the One Who is Love

That’s when, in a similar way that my older relatives helped me get the pump going, we call on the God who is love.

The God who loved us first.

The God who demonstrated his love for us the day he allowed his precious son to die in our place.

So, my friends, we may never have the opportunity to prime a hand pump to draw water, but since God so loved us, we do have the opportunity to prime the pump of his love and draw from his deep well. When we do, though, it’s important to remember you can’t pump water, or love, if you don’t have a glassful to begin with.

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 NLT

Your Turn

Priming the pump. It’s a circle. God is love. Love comes from God. Since God loved us, we are to love others. If we love others, God lives in us, and his love is brought to fullness in us.

Have you ever primed a pump to draw water? If so, did you do it because you wanted to, or because you had to?

Here’s another of my posts about God’s love on Inspire a Fire.

I wish you well.

Sandy

You can find my blog at https://www.sandykirbyquandt.com

Photos courtesy Pixabay.