Love in Action

December 1

Hosea 10-11

Psalm 135:8-14

Proverbs 28:20-21

I John 3

Love in Action

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” I John 3:16-18 NIV

There are a lot of romanticized notions of what love is that we see in Hallmark movies and popular novels. The giddy feeling when you see your soul mate across a crowded room, the exhilaration of the first kiss that sweeps you off your feet, and then just when you think things aren’t going to work out, a miracle happens, and you get together to live happily ever after. Those things make for great television and a good book you don’t want to put down, but they have distorted the true meaning of love. Love is not a feeling. The idea that love is some overwhelming emotion that conquers all has led to much disillusionment, heartache, and broken relationships. This is true of romantic relationships, but it is also true of relationships with friends and family. If you believe that love is a feeling, when things get tough and you don’t feel happy, you move on to another relationship that gives you that good feeling again. Then when that relationship faces difficulty, you move on again. The reality is that life is tough, and every relationship is going to face difficulty. If your “love” is based on feeling good and being happy, you will go from relationship to relationship, never experiencing the intimacy of true love.

Satan is a master at counterfeit. He excels at providing substitutes that he presents as the real thing. He has done a masterful job of convincing us that love is a perfect relationship where all your needs are met, and you feel happy all the time. Not only is that not realistic, but it is a lie. We have discussed the fact that you must be put in situations where you need patience to develop patience. You must be in situations where you must demonstrate faith to develop faith. I think the same is true of love. If everything is sunshine and roses all the time, I don’t think you can develop love. Love is not really love unless it is tested and proven. Love is action. Love is commitment. Love is perseverance. Love is being there through thick and thin, good times and bad. Love is hard. It’s not fun. Love is laying aside your own interests and desires to meet the needs of others. Saying “I love you” to someone is nice but showing your love for them is powerful. We all want to be loved like that. We want people in our lives to love us sacrificially no matter what happens. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, “Do I love like that?’ Am I loving the people in my life that way? Am I allowing Jesus to demonstrate His love through me? Am I putting aside my own interests and desires so that I can meet the needs of others? Do I love others unconditionally and sacrificially?