HERE'S WHAT I HAVE LEARNT ABOUT LOVE
HERE’S WHAT I HAVE LEARNT ABOUT LOVE
In the last blog post we looked at how the Holy
Spirit enables a believer to walk the path of righteousness. In that light I
have been thinking a lot lately and asking the Lord to teach me more on the
subject of Love, I realize that I haven’t learnt to love like God wants me to.
Looking at my own experiences and life I am still lacking, sometimes I judge
others based on my own feelings.
Jesus taught so much and emphasized on the
importance of Christians living in love yet we all struggle to love as the Lord
wants us to. This is because we are accustomed to loving and expecting
something in return. We love because someone loves us back. We distort the true
meaning of love when we think it is about good feelings. This means we love
someone when we get good feelings about them and vice versa. Our love becomes
dependent on what we get out the relationship. In this case we are more
concerned about ourselves than the other person, about our own comfort and happiness.
We tend to want to change others because we feel that it is difficult to love
them as they are and would prefer that they were different. But this is not
what the Bible says about love!
LOVE DEFINED.
Matthew Henry
defines Love as a benevolent disposition of mind towards our fellow Christians,
growing out of sincere and fervent devotion to God.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
defines for us what love is.
Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love
never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there
are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass
away.
Let’s breakdown this passage
and have a closer look at what Paul says love is or isn’t:
§ It
is patient (sometimes long-suffering)
- it can endure evil and provocation without being filled with resentment or trying
to seek revenge. Love gives you a perseverance to wish and wait for the person
that hurts you to reform rather than try to get back at them.
§ It
is kind-when you have Godly
love you will be courteous and do well to others
§ It
does not envy-when you know love
you will not be embittered or grieved at the successes of others or their gifts
and talent. Instead of being displeased that your neighbor/brother is doing
well you will share in their joy.
§ It
does not boast, It is not proud-
Love will not show off to others of one’s assumed wealth or success instead
will be humbled at the gifts afforded them by God and use them for His glory.
§ It
does not dishonor others-
When you love you will not despise others or trample on them neither treating
them with contempt. Love does not snob others.it will instead make you esteem your
fellow human beings.
§ It
is not self-seeking- Love is not
selfish, it will never seek its own at the expense of others or to hurt them
but instead will neglect its own for the sake of another.
§ It
is not easily angered-anger cannot
live in the heart where there is love, one cannot stay angry with those he
loves but will find it easy to let go of their resentment and be reconciled.
Love will control anger that it may not exceed the measure that is just, either
by degree or duration
§ It
keeps no record of wrongs-Love will not
hold on to past mistakes or injuries caused by others but does forgive and
leaves them in the past where they belong.
§ Does
not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth-
TO TAKE
PLEASURE IN THE MISERY OF A FELLOW CREATURE IS THE HEIGHT OF MALICE. When
you love you will not think and plot evil or entertain malice. You will not
enjoy harming others. You will therefore not be quick to have an ill-opinion of
others but instead will delight in seeing others doing well and to see truth
and justice prevail.
§ It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always persevere-
To love is to believe well of everyone, to have faith beyond appearances and if
based on evidence cannot believe well of the person you will still hope and
wish for their reform. Love will still hope for the redemption of even the
worst of men.
§ Love
never fails-There is nothing that a lover cannot
endure for a loved one.
THE
TEACHING ON LOVE.
If we truly know
God then we will follow His commands.
During his ministry on earth
Jesus summed up the whole Law of Moses in two commandments (All based on love).
1. Love
God with your whole being.
2. Love
your neighbor as you love yourself
Matthew
22:37-40 Jesus replied “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love
your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two
commandments.”
Matthew 5:43-48 “You have
heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But
I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so
that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise
on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the
tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are
you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You
therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The true meaning of Love is that it is not based on our
feelings or the goodness of the other person but rather it is a reflection of
your heavenly Father. Just as He loves us unconditionally with our failures,
sins and weaknesses so must we love others despite what they have done or who
they are. ~If they hurt us to forgive them, if they are on the path of
destruction to correct them with brotherly love and if they still do not change
to pray and wish for their redemption.
Peter’s remark in 1 peter 4:8 “Love covers a
multitude of sin,” echoes the words of proverbs
10:12 “hatred stirs up strife but
love covers all sins” Just like Jesus taught he tells us living in Love
enables us to overcome all sin. If you love you will be able to keep all the
other commandments of God as it is impossible to hurt others if you love them.
By loving you will please the heavenly father.
The truth is that instead of hoping for the others to change or be what we want them to be before we love them, we need to find the sin in ourselves that is preventing us from living in love and cleanse that out such as self-interest, pride, envy, resentment and unwholesome talk, etc.; the sin that we struggle with in our daily life.
The apostle John wrote so much about the topic of love encouraging
Christians to live in Godly love. This kind of love is not dependent on
circumstances. He echoes the words of Jesus’ teaching to them on the night of
his betrayal and arrest. One of the main points Jesus emphasized to them
knowing He was leaving His disciples was that they continue in love just as
they learnt and saw from him. To love one another so that by doing so, the
world will know that they are His disciples. John 13:34-35. This will also be a witness that Jesus was sent by
His Father in heaven to this world for God is Love. The very essence of God is
love; He loves all people including the unrighteous.
God has shown us
the true meaning of Love: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son.” 1 John 4:10
THE HEIGHT OF
LOVE IS SACRIFICE. Just as Jesus said “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his
life for his friends. John 15:13
Everyone
you meet should feel drawn to Christ through your actions and lifestyle. Love
is what wins people. How can someone feel drawn if their experience of you is
impatience, rudeness, hate?
We can never talk about God’s love exhaustively but we can sum up this thought on Love with the words of Paul the apostle in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that love is the greatest of all virtues of a Christian.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section
below.
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Love muchly!!!
Liz 😍😍
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2 comments
Amazing piece as always. An eye open to really examine our lives.I pray that I reach that level of love,to love like Christ did.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate. Indeed we must all strive and desire to live in love everyday.In this way we can start to change the world around us.
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