- “Love” is an overused and misunderstood word in modern English. We say we love a certain fast-food restaurant, a puppy, and our family all using the same word. Love is not affection, attraction or butterflies in our stomachs. “Like” is a warm feeling and “lust” is a strong emotional or physical craving. If we want to understand how to accept love and return love to others, we must grasp what defines love. The source of love is not our emotional well, but God. Love is a series of intentional decisions to put the needs of others over our own needs or desires. Love is expressed through action, not feelings. When we say we are loved by God, what we are really saying is that God, the source of love, chose to show us grace and mercy in spite of our rebelliousness. His affection for us is not due to our own actions, but his decision to love us. We are not loved because we are good, we are made good through the love of the Father. What is love to me? Do I think of love as an emotional response? How does God love us?
- “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” – 1 John 4:7
- To love someone means that you desire what is best for that person. A vital part of a loving relationship is truth. It is not love to let a child touch the hot stove just because they want to do it. In the same way, God desires shows us love by giving us guidelines for healthy lives and relationships. We also love each other by helping each other grow in the faith, practicing gentle correction and humble repentance. We long to be more like Christ and see our brothers and sisters in Christ grow in their faith. To be loved means that someone is watching out for you, knowing they are committed to your good. Do I think I am being mean when I correct someone? Am I willing to accept loving discipline? Does anyone know me well enough to see when I am going in a wrong direction?
- “And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works,” – Hebrews 10:24
- The first fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians is love. The rest of the fruit show us what love looks like. We are to display joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These things all come out of a connection to God and the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. If we have any hope of being loving people, we must remain in relationship with God. Without him, we devolve into self-centered people who work to meet our own needs instead of resting in the goodness of God and his provision. A church full of people who are connected to Christ and practice biblical love to each other reflects Christ to the world. Am I connected to Christ in an ongoing relationship? Do I ask the Spirit to display his fruit in my life? Do I show my church, family and community gracious love, empowered by the work of the gospel?
- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” – Galatians 5:22-23
For further study:
Read 1 Corinthians 13. We hear this passage at weddings, but this type of love goes far beyond the romantic love we see in movies. What would our lives look like if we practiced this kind of love with each other?
Prayer focus for the week:
Pray for Rich and Wendy Jacobs as Rich faces a difficult surgery today.