Love

Everyone wants to experience love and be loved. What is love? Does it mean that you get people to give you what you want and therefore you appreciate them? That is a concept many have. Is it a feeling you have for someone else, since they add to your life? Certainly, it is a blessing when people add to one’s lives. However, toxic people in relationships are no fun. We can have a healthy connection to people or an unhealthy connection.

The Bible says what God’s love is, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11).

The very essence of God is love and God’s love is extravagantly giving and holy. As the Bible states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). He came to rescue us from our sin and redeem us to life in Jesus Christ. Jesus came as God in the flesh (John 1:1,14) at enormous cost to God himself. No human love ever comes close for none can be God and take the just penalty for our sin which is death and let his own creation nail him to the cross that he might redeem those from sin and hell who truly commit to repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ.

God is love but human love is not God. However, many define it this way. Love is not God. God’s love is far above human love. We don’t worship human love we worship God. Love describes the essence of God. Some people make human love as God. Love describes God and he is worthy of worship. Human love can be good but it doesn’t define God. God is not defined by love; you would have to be far advanced in God’s love for love to equal God.

Is love a feeling? The Bible says we are to love God from the heart, soul, mind, and strength.” (Mark 12:30) Jesus said this was the most important commandment or the bottom line. It sums it all up. We are also to love our neighbour as ourself. To love God from the center or our heart is to love him primarily from our will. Our will leads to the direction of our thoughts and our thoughts lead to feelings. Many have it backwards. Dallas Willard in his books clarifies this like in his book, Renovation of the Heart. Of course we have a emotional connection to God because of his love, his character and his grace.

First Corinthians 13 states some practical ways of expressing God’s kind of love. It is a lot about the person we are or the character within us. That character can be transformed in Jesus. Here the Bible states, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not] puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Love is not just a feeling. It comes from our center of who we are and it is an act of the will that directs our thoughts and centers on what is primary. What is most important is the person who is loving and their character. As the Bible says,” For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

To think from our will, we must have a vision of God as the most valuable and beautiful treasure of all of life. The presence of Jesus Christ is the most beautiful and desirable treasure, that is why heaven will be heaven. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Our focus then is to respond to his love and to honor and to please him. The Bible says if we are double minded in love with Jesus and the world, we are like a ship a drift on the ocean, tossed to and fro. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8).

Not only does it take a clear vision of God, but it requires discipline. Garage in and garbage out. Direct your life to God and feed on God’s word and his presence in prayer and devotion. Serve and honor him primarily from your will and center. Discipline your life to pray, feed on God’s word, and walk with Jesus as he guides you and directs you.

We are to love the Lord with our mind as well. We are not to be like the world which refuses to think about things like eternity because they are difficult. Where have all the Theologians gone and those disciplined in the word of God like the Bereans? (Acts 17:11)

To love God with the soul is to love him with the Spirit God as the soul puts it all together. To love God with our strength is do discipline our lives to love him in a world where Satan and evil are still present. Grace is not contrary to effort. You don’t feel yourself into loving God for long, you commit to loving him daily and you set your face towards him. Without discipline you will be like a garden overcome with weeds.

As Dallas Willard states correctly, Love is defined as loving others for their good and for their sake. This is what it is to love our neighbour. Human love can be quite selfish whereas God's love is quite selfless. You are to love those you have a significant relationship to (our neighbour) and in the process take care of yourself.

Catch the true vision of love and let God’s love give you a vision. We must catch the true vision of God. (Isaiah 6) When we experience God and go on experiencing God, we will have a vision of God and have a walk of faith. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18; KJV) Get to know God and get to know him well in prayer and in and through experience and the Word of God.

To truly know God, not just about God, but to experience him is to love God. When we know God he transforms us and we truly love others and ourselves.