Love seems like such a simple word doesn't it? Love! It's what you feel for your family--what you feel for your girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife. But... it's more than that. The world tries to make love out to be this magical, almost invincible state of tolerating others actions. If you love someone (according to the world), you'll always try to make them happy and you never say anything that could hurt their feelings, even to the point where punishment is looked at like it's hatred even if it's meant to strengthen the one who receives it. In this little box we believe we've defined love, however, this isn't love at all. So, what is it? For this answer we go to the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says the following: (taken from the NASB, with my emphasis)
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
What does this mean then? It is so very important to have a correct understanding of love. We must understand how to love others, how to love God, and how God shows love to us. This is so crucial. You can't miss this. The most awesome act of love that God could possibly show us was found at the cross, where Jesus died for our sins. There is no greater love than this.
But... what is the wrong understanding of love? It happens when we enter into a way of thinking that says because we love, we can't correct, we can't hold someone accountable for their actions. Let me remind each of you who reads this (also myself) that Christ's death on the cross saves us--absolutely, but, if we don't accept it, we will be held accountable for our unbelief. There must be accountability in love! There must be discipline. God is the perfect Father. It's very difficult for some of us to think of God as our Father sometimes, because some didn't grow up with a father, or they had a horrible relationship with their dad. Nonetheless, God is our Father, and in some cases when our father isn't an example of what he should really be, God stands as the Father we dreamed we had. He loves us so much that he'd adopt us into his family. But how do we show him we love him? One word, obedience. If we love God, we follow him and keep his commandments. And how does he love us? He is our constant, our comforter, our strong tower. And since he is our Father, he also disciplines us.
Hebrews 12:6 says, "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." Love means caring enough about someone to not only lift them up, but also caring enough to warn, to correct, to make one humble. Love is not tolerant. Out of grace comes love, which requires accountability and discipline. This is the love I know, God's love for us. This is the love we as Christians must show others. So today I challenge you. Are you looking for love? Or are you looking for someone to tell you everything's ok when it's really not. Having the wrong understanding of love can cripple you spiritually and emotionally. Read this and pray for God's love to overwhelm you. God wants you to love Him with everything, because He gave everything for us.
