“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7
February 13, 2023
The word “love” may very well be one of the most misunderstood and abused words in the English language. One might say he loves chocolate ice cream and tell his wife he loves her. Definitions are important. We are about to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Tina Turner sang famously, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” She was probably not singing about an arranged marriage. It is believed by many that love as a second hand emotion is the use of the word, love, to cover-up pain and suffering inflicted in an abusive marriage. If you love someone you don’t continue to hurt them. Let’s put our ship of thought-search into the deep biblical waters of God’s love. Anything meaningful we have to say about love starts there. We are to love one another because love is the very nature of God. Love is the language of truth. Love is the expression of truth. Truth expresses itself in love. We must not divorce the two. No pun intended. True Christian love cannot thrive apart from an atmosphere of Christian truth. Bring this into a romantic, affectionate relationship like marriage. This is the way it is supposed to be; voluntary self-giving, patience, kindness, forgiveness, this is some of the stuff of true love because that is the way God loves. Knowing God, as Father and Friend, will produce an unselfish, sacrificial life. Make today a recommitment to God’s kind of love.
H
“Loving Father, show me how to love as you love. Let me see your love everywhere, not only in the cross, but in the fellowship of believers and where it is in the world around me.”