Been Thinking About Love!!!

Well, after a much needed season of rest and restoration, my wife and I have returned to reality. We are appreciative of our children (who gave this gift to us at Christmas) and to our church family for allowing us to "get away" for a winter season. It was, as usual, awesome. While gone we were able to rest, read and reflect as we love to do. And coupled with our present day, here are a few thoughts.....

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Today will be filled with cards, flowers, candy and many other offerings to prove our love for one another. I too have focused some of my reading this week on the subject that is so prevalent today. LOVE!

We hear it spoken of often. We are told we fall into it and some even say we fall out of it. Some suggest we can buy it, others that it is without price. I have come to the conclusion that most of the world actually doesn't get it. Their concept of love is based purely on the physical/emotional and most often doesn't see the fullness of TRUE LOVE! That is why there are sooooo many books written with so many differing points of view.

Now, I am not saying that I have "arrived" as I too am a fleshly/emotional creature, as I have been created, but there is one difference.....I have been born again! All of us as believers in Jesus Christ are NOW, new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and have the capacity to go beyond what we were at our physical birth because of the Spirit of the living God living in us! It is at this juncture where I would like to challenge worldly thinking.....

What is the love chapter in the bible???? Do you know? It is actually in a letter written to a church struggling with the typical problems of flesh vs Spirit! Look with me in 1 Corinthians 13 and you read the whole chapter. Quit balking, it is only 13 verses. I'll wait.....

There, now that wasn't hard now was it? The context is actually about spiritual gifts. But nestled in the middle of a church letter, where they are being instructed about the use and abuse of spiritual gifts, we find the biblical description of love! Love as God intended it to be. Not jaded by humanities issues but clearly defined by our Great Creator. Every time I read it, I am admonished. But for our sake we will consider one little portion. The little phrase found in verse 8. Here it is....

LOVE NEVER FAILS......

How do we reconcile this with the teaching of the world that we can somehow fall in and out of it like some dip into the pool. This reveals their shallow understanding of what love is. Jaded, colored, shaded by their flesh and lacking true biblical understanding. The Bible says....God is Love (1 John 4:16) thus true love flows from God to us. HE is love and the only way we can get it or fully understand it, is for us to know HIM and HIS love for us!

Of course we find this in and through HIS SON Jesus Christ! HIS sacrificial death on the cross is where we see Love in action. Once we receive Christ as our Savior then HIS Spirit moves in and brings with HIM the Love of God, as HE too is fully God. Once there HE begins the process of teaching us the beauty and wonder of true love, HIS love.

When HIS love is in us, then what HE loves we too will learn to love. It will not be without struggle nor will it be without sacrifice (Gal 5:17) As you have already read chapter 13, I am sure you noted all the self denying, self sacrificing verses written there. You cannot have the fullness of the worlds/fleshs love and the fullness of the love of God at the same time. They are not able to co-exist. You will love the one and hate (reject or despise) the other!

When the world says that love fails they are right. From their prospective, fleshly love (which is the only love it knows) can, will and often does fail. It is based upon the flesh, the sensual, the emotional, things that are temporary. But True Love never fails! The Love that flows from the heart of God to the soul of man will never pass away! It is rooted solidly in the person of God, Himself. It will last because HE is eternal.

So now the question, what kind of love do you have, know and give? Is it the fleshly, sensual stuff that changes with the tide or is it the kind that is eternal? The kind that bears, believes, hopes and endures? (1 Cor 13:7)The kind that makes changes but itself does not change? If your love fails then what you had was not from HIM! Choose today to allow HIM to love you, to love others through you and to teach you to love HIM with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Remember, true love never fails. Thank God for that!

Blessings
Bruce