How is your love life?
I don’t mean if you have a significant other in your life, but how are you loving others today? It’s a question we as Christians need to consider. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbours (see Matthew 22:36-40). Did you see that? It is a command. To love our neighbours isn’t a suggestion for the Christian; it is a command we are called to daily obey.
‘Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law’ – Romans 13:8
We owe everyone love, even our enemies (see Matthew 5:44). But what is love? The famous passage about love in 1st Corinthian 13 of the Bible is often read out at weddings. However, this is not only describing a love between a married couple, it is the love we as Christians are called to possess and show. So… let’s look at the characteristics of love found in this passage as we consider how we demonstrate it to those around us:
Love is…
- Patient
- Kind
- It does not envy
- It does not boast
- It is not proud
- It does not dishonor others
- t is not self-seeking
- it is not easily angered
- it keeps no record of wrongs
- It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth
- It always protects
- It always trusts
- It always hopes
- It always perseveres
Wow! What a list, hey? I know I personally have failed just at the first point already today. So know that if you read that list and felt very far its standard, you are not alone! It can feel overwhelming, in fact, impossible. How can we achieve it? ‘For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do’- Romans 7:15b (NIV). Even with our best desires and intentions, often times our sinful nature can get in the way and we fall short in our love life.
BUT….
When we go on to the following chapter in 1st Corinthians, the apostle Paul begins with the words which inspired this post: ‘Pursue love’ (1 corinthians 14:1, emphasis added). Love is meant to be our pursuit. It is meant to be a continual chase and following after love.
I first asked you to look at the list of what love is and compare it to your love life. Now I want you to look at the list of love and compare it to Christ. Is Jesus patient? Is He kind? Is He proud? Self-seeking? You see the bible tells us that God is love (see 1 john 4:8b). 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 describes Jesus! So though we are slack in our love lives, pursing love in essence means to pursue God who is not slacking in any of those attributes—it is who He is.
‘Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.’ – Ephesians 5:1 (emphasis added)
We are called to pursue God or as the above scripture puts it, to imitate Him. He is our ultimate standard, not the latest person you are following on social media, or the ever changing standards of society. We are to love as we have been loved. To abide in His love (see John 15:9). To walk in His love.
‘…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.’– Ephesians 3:17-19 (emphasis added)
As we pursue God, we begin to comprehend more and more of His amazing love for us which passes knowledge. It is when we continue to be in pursuit of God that we are filled with His fullness. As we continue to be filled with His love, we can then pour out His love onto others. Our love lives are impossible without God, for remember, love is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).
We need to be on guard brothers and sisters, for Jesus warns us that in the last days the love of many will grow cold (see Matthew 24:12). Lets stay close to the Lord so that our love won’t grow cold but will that He will make us more like Him and in turn will help us to love. Pursue love. Pursue God.
‘It may not be clear as a morning yet,
It may not be wide as a restless sea,
And it may not be red as a rose is yet,
It may not be strong as the old oak trees,
But love planted deeply becomes what it ought to, and
Hearts given freely become what they ought to, and
Love planted deeply becomes what it ought to be.’ – Audrey Assad, ‘Ought To Be’
