So what will be the topic of today’s blog? I thought about it for a while. Should I keep talking about Ghana? Should I talk about myself? (That could take days…) Should I talk about some of the things that God is teaching me? Where to begin on that? So then I started thinking, “What do people want to hear about?”
And what did I settle on? Love.
Ah, yes. The subject that is near and dear to every single’s heart.
Love’s a funny thing. We spend so much time thinking about it and wanting it and sometimes even pursuing it and yet it’s so elusive. And when the opportunity to love presents itself, so often we can’t love right, so it ends up being SO not what we expected.
So does that mean we should just give up? Because, for real, something’s got to change. But what?
I’ll tell you exactly what: you. Or, if you’d like, me. How ‘bout both? Yeah, that works for me. Both. Us. All of us. At least most of us.
Love shouldn’t be complicated. It shouldn’t be hard. It shouldn’t be awkward. Should it be work? Sure, sometimes. But easy work. Fun work. “Worth it” work. It should be honest. And bold. And scary.
Wait a minute. You think I’m talking about romantic love, don’t you? HA! Tricked you!
Yes, as singles, we like talking about romantic love. But hear this: if you can’t “brotherly love” correctly, there’s no way you’ll ever succeed at “romantic love.”
So, what is love? Try this on for size: unselfish, loyal, and benevolent intention and commitment toward another. Did I get your attention? I already told you it was supposed to be work. Just remember that it’s “worth it” work.
You’ve heard of “agape” love, right? Agape was a word used by believers in the New Testament to denote the special unconditional love of God and is used interchangeably with “phileo” to designate God the Father’s love for Jesus, God the Father’s love for an individual believer and Christ’s love for a disciple. Biblical love has God as its object, true motivator, and source.
You sure you want love? Sounds great to be loved, but to love others? Like that? Hmmm.
What else does the Bible say about love? Paul says that rhetorical ability, preaching, knowledge, mountain-moving faith, charity towards the poor, and even martyrdom are nothing without agape. Nothing. Nada.
He continues: love is patient, kind, not jealous, not arrogant, not easily provoked, etc, etc. Are you up for that? Because I’m not sure if I am. I don’t even know what that looks like. I don’t know if I can do it. Me, be patient? And not arrogant?
Okay, I take it back. Love is hard. Real hard. And I’m a quitter. Is this worth it? Do I have to?
Love is called the bond of maturity. Great. So if I don’t love, I’m not mature? Love is also the test of true discipleship. Oh, so now I’m not a true disciple. Insulting me isn’t going to convince me.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
Okay, so from anyone else, this would sound like a guilt trip. And guilt trips don’t normally work on me. But this? I can’t argue with truth.
Did you read my blog about mercy?
James 2:13
For judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy.
The same goes with love.
1 John 3:14-18
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
So is love a feeling? Or an action? Yes. It’s both. But without the action, the feeling is nothing. Is it enough for a person to know they are loved? Should they ever want to feel loved? People today think that love is about how they feel. But it’s more about how they make other people feel. And that takes action.
So do I have what it takes? No. No way. Not even close. But I have the love of God in me. He is the object, true motivator and source of my love.
So I have been commanded, motivated, and enabled. It all comes from God. Just like my love.
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When I Was One-And-Twenty
by A. E. Housman
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
"Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free."
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
"The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs aplenty
And sold for endless rue."
And I am two-and-twenty
And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.
A Friend Like You
by Author Unknown
There's lots of things
With which I'm blessed,
Tho' my life's been both Sunny and Blue,
But of all my blessings,
This one's the best:
To have a friend like you.
In times of trouble
Friends will say,
"Just ask... I'll help you through it."
But you don't wait for me to ask,
You just get up
And you do it!
And I can think
Of nothing in life
That I could more wisely do,
Than know a friend,
And be a friend,
And love a friend... like you.
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