BEYOND AFFECTION
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:9-10 (NLT)
We've heard it said that love is a many-splendored thing. We effortlessly break into song when we hear the chorus of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You. We love our country, our family and our friends. Personally, I also love pepperoni pizza and the color pink. If love applies to all these things, how do we determine what love really is?
I love studying words, so I compared a few dictionary definitions of love. Depending on the source, love is defined as a strong affection for another rooted in kinship or personal ties, admiration or common interests, warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion. Scripture invites us into a deeper and more specific understanding of love. 1 John 3:16-18 explains: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. True love, the love of God, is transformative. It's more than affection or admiration. It's sacrificial, active and rooted in the character of Christ.
I'm thankful that His love for me isn't grounded in my behavior, my likes and interests, or my characteristics. His love is grounded in His character, not mine. He proved that His love for us is so intense that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for us. He has instructed us to love others by sacrificing ourselves for them, by caring for them, and by generously sharing our resources.
APPLICATION: How can you show Jesus' love today? Grand gestures are wonderful, but not always necessary. Be intentional about looking for the needs of people around you and ask God to help you love them sacrificially.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your perfect and sacrificial love. Please help me to be mindful of the needs of people around me and show me how to love them with the resources You've given me. Allow others to see Your love through my actions. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?