Thursday, April 15, 2010

What is Love? I was studying John 14:15 tonight: "If you love me, you will obey what I command."
As I looked at this verse and dissected it, I wondered what the true meaning of LOVE really was. It is more than simply warm feelings. It is an ATTITUDE that reveals itself in action, which equals OBEDIENCE!! (Attitude = Action = LOVE).

Then God took me to a place in the bible to give me His definition of the word LOVE.

Look at 1 Corinthians 13, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not LOVE, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all the mysteries and all the knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not LOVE, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not LOVE, I gain nothing."

It goes on:
"LOVE is patient, LOVE is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. LOVE does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and LOVE. But the greatest of these is LOVE."

God is showing us in His word that great faith, acts of sacrifice, and even miracle working power produce nothing without LOVE. God's definition of LOVE is for us to direct it outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is totally unselfish. This where I feel like I sound like a broken record to myself...I think God is just beating it over my head. This is the kind of LOVE that goes against the flesh! This a battle between your Holy Spirit and your flesh. One is going to win. The only way to have this kind of LOVE is with the Holy Spirit's help. In the world today, just like in the days of the Corinthians, the true meaning of LOVE is all messed up and is mis-used. LOVE is the greatest human quality that God gave us. It is an attribute of God himself.

Look at 1 John 4:8
"Whoever does not LOVE does not know God, because God is LOVE."
We LOVE because God first LOVED us. God is LOVE, "not" "LOVE is God." If we claim to be "Christians who know God" then the LOVE that we know will be to LOVE as God LOVES.

(all this information was taken straight from the Bible NIV; Life Application Bible)

God speaks primarily through His word and I was studying one simple little verse John 14:15; and God took me to all the different verses I have shared with you tonight. Wow!!

Thank you Father for showing us your meaning of LOVE. We praise you for the LOVE you have for us. Father help us to have your LOVE for people, even the ones who are not like us and are hard to LOVE. Give us the power to LOVE unselfishly. Thank you for showing us what true LOVE is by sending your only Son to die for us. How we praise you Father. You are true LOVE, You are Holy, Just, and Perfect! In Jesus name, AMEN.


Wanting to LOVE like God,


Robbie