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A Life Of Love
A teenager who was asked what love was, answered “Love is a feeling you feel when you feel a feeling you never felt before”. Confusing? This is the typical feeling of our pop culture. Love is complicated and certainly hard to define. How does the Word of God define love? The world says love is something that makes me happy. Something that fulfills me. Something that makes it possible to have my needs met. This is not the love in the Bible. The Bible’s love is the spirit of God filling you up so that you meet the needs of other people. Love is an action, love is what you do and not what you feel.
In our pop culture, we are obsessed with love. Everyone defines love in different ways. Familiar definitions are the hormone and human expressions as seen in Hollywood movies. Love is oxygen for the soul. Christians need to be obsessed with love: God’s conditional love and our love for one another. Love for one another and accept one another even when it costs a lot. The love of God is poured into us and grows within us. There is no warm feeling but nuts and bolts of life. It is kind and pure and positive in outlook.
“Agape (Ancient Greek ἀγάπη, agápē) is a Greco–Christian term referring to love, “the highest form of love, charity” and “the love of God for man and of man for God.” (Wikipedia).
“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.” John 3:16.
Jesus brought to this earth “agape”. God sent His son Jesus to this earth to save you and I – this is agape, the highest form of sacrifice. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34. As God loves us, He commands us to love one another.
Nowadays we express love as a feeling – we feel love and we fall in love. Love is indeed an action not a feeling. Feeling comes after an action of love.
How To Live A Life Of Love
1. Reflect on God’s love
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. God has given us love and from that reservoir we can love others. Reflect on how much God loves us so that we can in turn love others.
2. Pursue genuine love
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Romans 12:9 (NLT)
Make sure your love is sincere. The world will know that you are a follower of Jesus by how we love one another.
3. Pray for greater love
“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.” Philippians 1:9. Take the love from God and grow it.
4. Don’t be afraid to risk
You can’t stop loving because you have been hurt.
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
5. Practice love every day
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ” Ephesians 5: 1-2. Practice love every day, one step at a time in little acts of love. Be a distributor of love.
Listen to Dr. David Jeremiah, Pastor of Shadow Mountain Church, San Diego and New York Times Best-Selling Author full message on A Life Of Love message here.
