Pondering Love
What is love? Is it a feeling? Is it deeply caring for someone? Is it knowing you can't live without someone? Is it being willing to die for someone? Is it something indescribeable?
Recently, my family hosted a man who answered the above question as I never heard before. He answered it by asking what the most famous Bible verse is. John 3:16 is the a common answer. It states: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Upon deeper investigation, we see that God demonstrated love by sacrificially sending His Son to atone for the sins of the world. He thought not of His own loss but of our welfare in doing so. God rightly places Himself above all else (He doesn't break any of the commandments), but in John 3:16 we could think that He places mankind above Himself. We are benefitted by realizing that God's ways are mysteries which we will never fully understand in this life. For the purpose of this article, I will maintain the assumption that God put the welfare of mankind above Himself in John 3:16.
To understand the love of God, we should reference 1 John 3:16, which states "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." I find it marvelous that John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16 correspond so well not only in content but in reference. God's precision should cause us to stand in reverential awe of Him. Love, according to Scripture, is laying down our lives for others. Christ cared not a bit about His own pleasure or comfort, but only about glorifying His Father and doing what would earn redemption for us. His ultimate sacrifice is infinitely greater than any sacrifice we could ever make. We have no excuse to not follow His example.
Laying down our lives for others is self-sacrifice rather than selfishness. We cannot demonstrate true love without laying aside our own pleasures and desires. We must focus fully on serving others and denying ourselves. Self is the greatest enemy of love. In fact, all problems in our world are caused by selfishness. We refuse to yield our desires, and realizing this should shame us to repentance. God sacrificed so much for us – filthy sinners that we are. How dare we refuse to sacrifice ourselves to Him? In our culture, love is distorted to the point that most people do not know what it is. Movies and books paint a picture of love which elevates personal pleasure and fulfillment rather than yielding desires for the good of others. We have rejected God's definition of love and replaced it with something filthy to the core.
What would God's love in our lives look like? We cannot look to people for an example because none fulfilled His blueprint perfectly. Only Christ exemplified true love by humbling Himself in coming to earth as our Redeemer. To understand the depth and height of this love, consider what Christ left. He left the glory of Heaven for a sinful world that rejected His Lordship and wanted nothing to do with Him. The world had nothing at all to offer Him but unbelief and rejection. He left all pleasure for all misery, and all joy for all despair. Ultimately, Christ left the approval of His Father to bear the blame for all our sin. Who of us would willingly be rejected by our earthly father in order that a stranger may be accepted? Who of us would bear the blame for a misdemeanor in order that the criminal may go free? This is what Christ did, and He is still rejected by so many. Grasping the great love of Christ must lead us to demonstrating that love in our own lives to all who come our way. We must forget about ourselves, our own desires, our own hopes, and seek to be a servant to others. We need look no further than to Christ to understand servanthood, and thus recognize that we have no excuse to elevate ourselves.
Having explored the definition of love, it is necessary to make practical application to our lives lest we become only hearers instead of doers of God's Word. This Valentine's Day, consider how you may demonstrate true love to those around you, especially to those in your own family. This pursuit requires beseeching God for a change of heart. Love is the first of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which results from a change of heart. God alone is the One Who changes hearts, and no one can seek this change more ably than you. Do not look for a miracle that forever ensures a sacrificial disposition. The fruit of the Spirit is developed largely by everyday choices such as whether to serve or be served. Beseech God for the desire and strength to make self-sacrificing choices, and trust Him for a heart that desires to do so.
The world may tell you definitions of love that feel good. It will never tell you to deny yourself. Do not be deceived by the trinkets of happiness promised by the world. The world never sacrificed for the sake of your soul. It never did what Christ did. Look only to Him to understand love, and apply what you learn to your own life. Discover that laying down your own desires is the way to find fulfillment. Love others and feel loved yourself. Christ never disappoints those who yield themselves to Him.
When we view love as God defines it, we realize that it is far removed from romance. This should be a comfort, as true love has nothing to do with a spouse or "significant other." If you want to be loved, love others by being a servant as Christ was, and you will experience Christ's approval. What could make you happier? Nothing.
If reflecting on Christ's love for you does not fill you with joy and contentment, nothing else will make you happy. If Christ's love is a foreign concept to you, it may be that you have not yet repented of your sins and trusted Him for salvation. Today is the day! Wait not another moment lest you have no other opportunity.
by Ana Marie Ort, February 2008
All photos are the property of the author
May 29th, 2008 at 7:29 am
You have such a simple, clean, and beautiful way of writing, Ana Marie. Thank you for this article!