The Power of Love
April 26, 2016 • By Ed Wrather
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21 NKJV.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17 NKJV.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV.
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. – Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. – Philippians 1:9-10 NKJV.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:11 NKJV.
Srikanth Bolla is the CEO of an Indian company estimated to be worth more than $7.5 million. He is just 23-years-old, and was born into poor and uneducated family with a yearly income of only $300. Oh, and Srikanth was born blind. When Srikanth was born many of his parent’s friends encouraged them to abandon him, but they refused to do that. Instead, they showered their love upon him and Srikanth says of his parents, “They are the richest people I know.” Srikanth’s company Bollant Industries manufactures packaging solutions using recycled paper and leaves. The company hires the physically challenged as their employees.
Srikanth’s path to becoming the CEO of a large company was not easy. He struggled in school until placed in a school for those with special needs. He was rejected by India’s MIT, because he was blind; however, MIT accepted him and when he graduated he returned to his homeland to start Bollant Industries. Swarnalatha was his teacher at the special needs school and now helps train the physically challenged employees of the company. Swarnalatha says, “Srikanth is my true source of inspiration. He is not only my young friend and protégé but is also my mentor who teaches me daily that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.” (Indian Times 04.19.16)
It is hard to even imagine the poverty that Srikanth was born into. Even harder to imagine the choice that Srikanth’s family was encouraged to make of abandoning their baby. When our youngest son was born with Down Syndrome I was encouraged to give him up for adoption. That was never considered as a possibility by me; I just wanted to take him home from the hospital so that we could love him.
Love is at times incomprehensible. How can parents deep in poverty love a blind child so much? How could Jesus love us so much that while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:8), He died for us? There is such great power in love. Love is the greatest good, the greatest power upon this earth. Love will overcome the worst if it is allowed to touch even the unlovable. God is love (1 John 4:16), and God’s kind of love conquers all. Let the love of God loose! Let the love of God run wild in your life!