Love!

Love. Whoa. What a word! I mean not only is it a pretty cool sounding word, but it has the most spectacular and powerful meaning no doubt, and I can't even begin to think about how thrown around it is. I myself am completely guilty of it too! Three minutes ago I was talking about how much I LOVE cereal, but honestly I hope my love isn't that shallow, and I certainly hope the meaning of the word never becomes that shallow, because if it did boy are we doomed, because before you know it love will mean like, and if love means like then really God only likes us, and do you know what that means? It means that He may not even think we're worth it, which means we're all hopeless lost children of a God who only likes us...(which yes I know is all contradicting, because if God didn't love us we truly would be hopeless...)

Last night before I hopped in bed I did some one-on-one God time, and looked into the meaning of the word love. Of course the study that I did led me to the well known 1 Corinthians 13 chapter, and I decided this time I was going to take it to the next step. I laid out what love looks like, and what love doesn't look like:

What love IS                                                                 
-Patient                                                                            
-Kind                                                                               
-Rejoices in Truth                                                             
-Bears all things                                                                
-Believes all things                                                            
-Hopes all things                                                              
-Endures all things                                                            
                                                                                       
What love IS NOT/DOESN'T                                                                                    
-Envy
- Boast
- Conceited
- Act improperly
- Selfish
- Provoke
-Keeps records of wrong doing
- Find joy in unrighteousness
- End

It's strange how we can say the word love to so many people loosely like a habit-something that soon becomes unthought about. If you truly think about it this LOVE doesn't explain some mushy tingly feeling inside your stomach. It means something so much deeper! Something so incredible! Each time you tell someone you love them it's like a promise that you will treat them with respect, that you will forgive them always, and let go of the past! For real there is no way you can truly love unless you are acting Christ-like towards them!

Scenario 1:
Boy-Girl (Friend-Friend)
"Dude guess what!?"-girl
"Wha."-boy
"Jesus loves you!!"-girl
"And you as well!"-boy
"...and so do I! (in a brother in Christ sorta way)"-girl
"Cool...:) I gotta head to bed.."-boy

Scenario 1 explanation: As much as this conversation looks like rejection to you I actually really like this conversation. Let me explain. You see "For God so LOVED the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16, because of LOVE God did this. He didn't do it because we deserved it. If you look at this conversation in a way it looks like the love is coming from a one way sorta street which it may be, but isn't that's what God's love is! It's like a flood of water engulfing and rushing down the street, that wipes out everything in it's path. It's not something easy taken! God knew not everyone would love Him. The gift of what His son went through is unrepayable. For us when we love we shouldn't expect love back. We shouldn't love to be loved. We should love because that's what God did, and that's what we are commanded to do.

Scenario 2:
Friend-Friend (Girls)
"Jesus loves you and so do I!"-Friend 1
"Aww :) jesus loves you too and so do i too! :) hehehe" -Friend 2

Scenario 2 explanation: This is pretty laid out! We are called to love, to be loved. Wither we offered it first, last, or the relationship is one way. We are called to never ever stop pouring love out on each other as Christ does for us! This specific friend that this was said too was a great example for me to share. No doubt do I wish to respect this friend to treat her the way she should be treated! In James it tells us to not only be hearers of the Word but to be doers. This friend is outstanding. When she replies with the love that God has commanded her to have she doesn't just say it to apply satisfaction. She lives out the love the she says to have. She's kind, caring, and is very quick to put the other person first. Love is not only a word it's an action.


As I read the chapter this verse stuck out on the page at me it says:
"If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:2

Does that not just add an additional 20 pound weight onto the meaning of the word already?

Don't take it lightly. It shouldn't be, but be ready to hand it out freely, and be prepared to back it up with actions for that is what our Father in heaven did.