Sunday, July 27, 2008
LOVE
Recently, I did a quick comparison between 1 Corinthians 13 (the Love Chapter) and Galatians 5 (the Fruit of the Spirit). 'Love' has been on my mind lately. On the positive side, my daughter is engaged to be married. On the negative side, I encounter more and more couples who started out declaring their love for one another - to the point of making vows - but over time, came to great disappointment to find a void of love between them.
It is interesting to me how people, including Christians, licensed psychologists, and marriage counsellors, take a dim view of the biblical definition of 'Love'. I've gotten the impression from them that real love is idealistic, fantastical, unattainable in reality. It's as if people with real personality problems should be excused from such a 'high expectation' and be allowed to remain in their self centered behavior that continues to hurt the ones they say they 'love'. And yet, the wounded person in the relationship is expected to 'deal' with that behavior - coexist, overlook, forgive, and remain faithful to the other - the implication being, "If you really love that person who is hurting you, you won't ask or expect him/her to change. You'll love them just as they are, regardless of how painful their behavior is toward you."
Well, I'm sorry. I just can't go along with that kind of thinking. The more I grow in my understanding of what true 'Love' is, the more I realize that we were made to 'Love'. It is well within our capacity to 'Love'. The experience and effects of loving other people are all positive; well over the top! As a result, I've come to question the values that pervade the world's philosophy concerning 'Love' and relationship. It seems to me that lowering the bar on human behavior is not the path to cultivating better relationships. As we try to rationalize and compensate for our weaknesses in order to avoid painful change, we are actively participating in the destruction of healthy societal dynamics. What a crime!
My entire world takes on new meaning with each new discovery of 'Love'. Love is not just for a husband and wife relationship, it is the 'Life' of every relationship we can have - people in my family, my church, at my job, in my neighborhood, my friends. 'Love' affects the approach I take, the decisions I make, the perspective I have at any given moment, the process of evaluation. 'Love' affects my thoughts, my will, my emotions. 'Love' gives my life purpose, stability and vitality.
You see, 'Love' is not just a feeling that causes us to want to be nice to someone. 'Love' is not just a feeling we have when someone is nice to us. 'Love' doesn't come and go.
'Love', real 'Love' is the very essence of the Living God. It is who He is. It is what He is. It is the motivation behind everything He has done and said since before time began, and if we want to know 'Love', we need to begin by getting to know Him.
How can I get to know Him?
Spend some time reading the little book of 1 John. It is packed with references about 'Love' and God being one in the same. Here are some examples:
"See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children" 3:1
"for love is of God" 4:7
"for God is love" 4:8
"God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." 4:16
There are also many references to 'Love' in John, Romans and Ephesians. It is a good study to read these books noting each time 'Love' is mentioned. Ask the Holy Spirit, "What can I learn about God and His 'Love' from these verses and how does His 'Love' reach and affect my life?"
Spend time in quiet, prayerful listening. Being in His presence, honestly facing who He is and desiring to be changed into His image allows His Holy Spirit to cultivate His 'Love' in our hearts. Then, like a faithful steward, take the 'Love' you have been given and invest it. The more you invest, the more 'Love' you will receive from Him to invest on His behalf.
Stay tuned for further articles on 'Love' and what it looks like in everyday life.
May your heart be filled with wonderous understanding and captivating joy as you come to know Him more and more!
Comments:
rebekah said...
VERY WELL SAID, my dear friend, VERY WELL SAID!
We all desire happiness, but we don't realize that happiness is possible only in loving others!
Without love, there is no joy, no peace, no patience, no kindness, no goodness, no faithfulness, no gentleness and no self-control. Without love, there is no fruit of the Spirit.
“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. - Matthew 7:14-20 NLT
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” - John 13:35 NLT
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:4-5 NLT
August 2, 2008 11:20 AM
SK and Family said...
You put this perfectly into words! I completely agree.
August 5, 2008 7:27 PM