The world thinks of love as a sentimental, mushy kind of feeling. Often worldly love is love because--you are attractive, etc., or love if--you do what pleases me, etc. But Biblical love is love in spite of. I loved my husband in spite of the fact that he was messy. He loved me in spite of my tendency to pout when I was not pleased. We loved each other in spite of all our shortcomings.
Biblical love is an action verb. Biblical love forgives. Proverbs 10:12 says, "Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs." Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Notice the actions, both what to do and what not to do, in the familiar passage of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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." Biblical love is tough. It hangs in there when the going gets rough. If you want to know how you are doing in loving Biblically, put your name everywhere these verses say "love" and read this passage. Are all these things true of you?
Biblical love encourages. There are givers and there are takers in life. Those who love Biblically are primarily givers. Love is unselfish. It focuses on others and sincerely cares about them. Jesus told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. 1 Corinthians 8:1b says, "Knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” Hebrews 10:24-25a has this message, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another..."
Biblical love sacrifices. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. The highest expression of love man has ever known occurred when Jesus left heaven with all his glory and honor there to come to earth in the form of a man, subjecting His deity to humanity's limitations and dying on the cross for us. That's what love looks like in action.
Father, since You have loved us, make us willing to allow You to love others through us with Your love. Amen.
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