Fat people are some of the most “loving” people you will meet, We “love” chocolate. We “love” cake. We especially “love” chocolate cake. We “love” doughnuts, chips, pizza, pasta, and anything fried. The list of the “loves” of our life goes on.
One might say they “love” broccoli, but it can’t be verified because they’re never seen actually eating broccoli. They might say they “love” going for runs but again it can’t be verified because the only activity they’re seen doing is walking to the fridge.
On average, 6,000 people a day get married. They confess their love for one another through sickness and health, till death due them part. However, statistics say 40 percent of them will end up divorced. Did they just “fall out of love” with each other? Did the feelings they have for one another die resulting in their apart? Was their connection not greater than their spouses attraction to someone else?
I remember when the movie “50 first dates” came out. I watched it with my mom on DVD after it had been released. I can recall looking over to her sitting on the couch crying and her saying, “don’t get married until you’re willing to do that (referring to the movie).” I remember thinking, “why would I need to make her fall in love with me every day? Won’t our feelings for one another be enough?
That there lies the problem. Most of us, when we think of love, think of feelings of affection or a strong desire. More often than not, when it comes to our potential spouse it’s also associated with a sexual or lustful attraction. And in those situations when our “love” for someone is based more so on sexual attraction the moment we find a more attractive someone our “love” is then spread towards more people.
Culture will tell us love is love. It will tell us that love is closely tied to sexual desire. It teaches us that love is more temporary than not, that its fleeting and random. It tells us that it is based upon what we can get from the other person, “they are nice to me,” “they give me things,” “they make me smile.” And we base our relationship with them off these things. But the moment they stop, our love for them stops as well.
The Bible however tells a different story. It defines love as a Being and that love is seen not just felt. It describes it as eternal and unending. That it can’t just fade away and that it is not based upon others. That true love is always expressed not just said.
The Bible defines love in four different areas:
- What love is
- How we love God
- How we love others
- How God loves us
What is love? God is love.
“How does that help me understand what love is?” Good question. The statement God is love makes love something unknowable apart from God. It affirms that if we want to know what love is, we first need to know God. That we must know His nature, His character. We need to know His ways and His truths. It also makes a bold declaration that only a child of God can know what love truly is. “Anyone who knows God is a child of God and loves God. Anyone that does not love doesn’t know God for God is love.”
How do we then love God if God is love?
Another good question. Jesus tells us that the entire law can be summed up in two commands, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” So, again how do I love God? Jesus gives us the answer, “If you love me (God), you will keep my commandments. “
For us to show our love for God, we must obey Him. We bring our heart, soul, and mind under obedience to Him. We offer them as a sacrifice so that it is never our will but His will being done in our life. We abide in His Spirit so that we can be transformed into His image. We die to our desires and say yes to His. Love is the ultimate expression of faith for it is impossible to please God without faith and our goal should always be to please the one we proclaim to love.
How do I love others?
Paul gives us the most known explanations of love in one of the most recognizable portions of scripture. “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.”
Notice that out of the 16 characteristics of love he gives only one of them is a feeling, hope. Love always hopes. Maybe that explains why so many marriages fail, they stopped hoping for the best. They stopped hoping that they could work things out. They stopped hoping that their spouse was the right one for them.
God’s love for us.
This is the most important of the loves mentioned. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” There’s a reason why John 3:16 is seen written on signs all around the world, it’s of the utmost importance. It’s the pivot point of the entire “Christian” religion.
The love of God is unconditional. There is nothing we can do to earn it. There’s also nothing we can do that can separate us from it. As Paul suggests, “ I am convinced, neither life nor death, neither angels or demons, neither or fears for today or our worries about tomorrow- not even the power of hell can separate us from the love of God. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
It is because of God’s love for us that we are able to love Him. It is because of God’s love that we have been adopted into His Kingdom. It is because of the love of God that we can be transformed into the image of Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for revealing the Fathers love to us while we were still sinners!
Paul, again, said it best, “without love we are nothing”. So let us abide in His great love for us. It is only when we take shelter in it that we can find rest. It is only when we press into His loving arms that we find our identity as His dearly loved children. It is only in this place of love that we can truly be free.
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