LOVE

How can I grow in my love for others?

Big T's Thought To Ponder:

To understand how to grow in love for others we must first understand what love is and where does it comes from. My first thought, what does love look like? One of the most beautiful verses in scripture tells us what love looks like and is described by Paul in I Corinthinans 13.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

As I was internalizing this verse, I began to realize that the love being described by Paul wasn't only a beautiful description of what love is and what it is not, but Paul was actually describing someone to us. I started to plug one glorious Word into and throughout this verse and the Word came alive in my heart this morning - "Jesus"!

Jesus is patient; Jesus is kind; Jesus does not not envy; Jesus does not boast; Jesus is not prideful; Jesus is not rude, Jesus is not self-seeking, Jesus is not easily angered, Jesus keeps no record of wrongs; Jesus does not delight in evil, but Jesus rejoices with the truth. Jesus always projects, always, trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails...

Jesus is love!

God's Truths:

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

I John 4:8

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

I John 4:7; 4:16

A Worldly Perspective:

How does the world define love? Webster says:

• (1) : based on a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
• (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers
• (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests

First, I don't recommend you trying a Google search on the word "love". Secondly, don't we have it all messed up! "Affection", "Desire", "Feeling", these are all emotional descriptors. Love isn't a feeling and it certainly isn't an emotion, it's relational! We have watered down the word love and perverted it to the point of no longer being able to truly understand what it means to truly love each other and/or to be loved as God intended.

Take note of the common treat in the definition of love from a worldly perspective: "based on". This implies that we love conditionally. In other words we love each other because we are attracted to one another, or because someone makes us feel accepted, or because they fulfill a desire, need or condition we have. The sinful nature of the nature man is to find our acceptance apart from God - This is not love.

We are all guilty of it. How many times have we said or indicated through out actions, "I love you because your beautiful"; "I love you because I enjoy spending time with you"; "I love you because your funny"; "I love you because you complete me", because, because, because... Our love is not only conditional, it is also erratic and build upon sinking sand. We love based on feelings and emotions that can change from one moment to the next, and do!

It makes perfect sense, look at the divorce rate in the world today, it's through the roof because we stop loving each other, we "fall out of love". We only fall out of love because we never understood love as God intended us to understand it. It is difficult for us to fully comprehend unconditional love, "till death do us part". In the world this typically means, we can part from each other when the flame goes out; when there's a little adversity in our relationship, or when there's some uncomfortable unpleasantries in life. "Till death do us part" means until which time God brings us home - marriage is a relationship and an eternal covenant with God, it is His love (Jesus Christ), that hold it all together!

Can any of us really comprehend "unconditional" love? God's definition and one of the most wonderful truths found in scripture is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

So God helps us understand love through the act of giving. This wasn't just a thoughtful gesture, a gift or present... God sacrificed His only Son so that whoever would put their faith in Jesus Christ the Son of His love, wouldn't have to spend eternity apart from their Creator. Now this is amazing love!

God Is Love:

While we made the choice to be separated from God through our sinful nature, God loved us so much that He sent Love as a intense personal sacrifice so that we could understand love -unconditional, unmerited, Agape Love for eternity! Another awesome truth that illustrates God's unconditional love is found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

In both of God's truths above, you'll notice that there are no conditions placed on God's love for us. Nowhere does He say, if you do this... and if you'll act like that... as soon as you get your act together I'll love you. He never said, "I will sacrifice my Son, but you have to promise to love Me in return." Romans 5:8 and John 3:16 are both quite to the contrary - believe and trust!

God's greatest desire is that we understand that His love for us is unconditional; and even when we are unlovable lost souls to this world, He still sent Love, His son Jesus Christ, so that we could have and understand love through His perfect sacrifice. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.

God's Promise:

It's Unconditional! God is Love, and His love is very different from human love. God's love is forever and completely unconditional with no string attached - It's not based on feelings or emotions! He doesn't love us because we're lovable or because He need us or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son to restore that relationship.

Love never fails! And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.