No Greater Love than God’s
Love is transformative. It’s delicate yet powerful. Love, in it’s true definition, is simple and sometimes incomprehensible. Think about how God loves his children. When it comes to defining “love”, it can be, well, complicated. How does one define it accurately? When I think about the most valid description of “love”, my thoughts always drift toward God because there simply is no greater example of love than that which God shows His children. In my humble opinion, the Bible provides the truest, definition of “love”. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives a straightforward checklist of necessary criteria we must display in order to affirm love the Lord’s way.
The Checklist
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails…”
LOVE: WHAT IT MEANS
I know. I know. It’s a lot to comprehend at once. Pay close attention. Notice how love does not cut corners. It does not hold grudges. Love doesn’t keep a tally of wrongs committed nor does it make excuses or act even the slightest bit petty. Love, in essence, does not fall short of its intended purpose. Simply put, love is perfect, just the way God created it to be.
A quick internet search reveals the word “love” has a Greek origin from the root “phil”. Some sources suggest a connection with the Old English word “leubh”, which means “care” or “desire”. Another derivative is “ahav”. The Hebrew language explains the act of giving as an essential, continuous prerequisite to love.
THE ORIGIN
When considering the origin of “love”, let’s not be remiss in our acknowledgement that it was first recorded long before any of us ever came into existence on the earth. According to the B-I-B-L-E, God’s love for His children dates back hundreds of generations ago to the first relationship ever recorded. In the beginning after God said, “Let there be light”, He separated the firmaments known as sea and heaven. He formed the land, beautifying it with trees and flowers, then made creatures to inhabit the surf, turf, and the air. Man was last on the list. The first man—Adam, was not only God’s creation, he was also God’s relative too. It was while Adam worked diligently on his first and primary assignment of naming every creation, that God really outdid Himself. What did He do? (pause) He created woman! Eve was designed to be Adam’s helper.
Fast forward>> Enter the serpent. That slithering little sneak enticed Eve to eat a scrumptious looking fruit. Y’all, this wasn’t any ordinary fruit. Instead, it was filled with the poison of sin. For clarity’s sake, the bible never said the fruit was an apple! Pardon my digression. This fruit was plucked from one of two God-forbidden trees in the garden. We later learn both Eve and Adam disobeyed God. Sin entered the world through their disobedience. As a result of their lapse of good judgment, they got evicted out of Eden carrying little more than the clothes on their backs.
LOVE: A PREREQUISITE TO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
God has been waiting for humankind to reconcile a relationship with Him ever since this first act of disobedience.
Reconciliation Attempt #1– There was that one time when God got fed up with mankind and flooded the entire earth! I think God said it was time to wipe everybody out then start fresh and anew. Noah, his family, and some animals were fortunate enough to be saved. That was it.
Reconciliation Attempt #2- This is marked by the priesthood, which I often associate Abram. Later renamed Abraham, he was a man whom God recognized as righteous. As one of God’s favorite humans, Abraham found favor in God’s sight. God blessed Abraham with a lot of descendants, later classified as the 12 Tribes of Israel. One of which was the Levites. They were chosen by God to serve as the priests. Israel respected the Levites because they presented sacrifices to God in atonement (forgiveness) for their sins. Due to the countless variables involved in this atonement process, it was prone to human error. Before long, God went back to the drawing board again.
Reconciliation Attempt #3– God’s final and greatest plan proved to be one that simply would not fail. He birthed His Son, Jesus Christ, through a virgin named Mary. Through His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the absolute reconciliation between mankind and God. This is salvation—when one’s sins are forgiven and he or she is welcomed into a relationship with God. This relationship allows us to come into a deeper knowledge of the person of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Due to our faith in this reconciliation, anyone can accept God as their Father and Jesus as their Lord and Savior. As it eludes in Ephesians 1:5, this is the actualization of our predestination into adoption as God’s children. This spiritual rights of passage also promises eternal life.
CHOSE TO RECEIVE GOD’S LOVE
Being the recipient of God’s love can seem a tad bit overwhelming. But isn’t it exciting to know that someone loves you with such fervor? God literally does the impossible just for the opportunity to be known by us. Brace yourself because this news gets even gooder! The best part is that God gives His love freely! It doesn’t cost us one penny, and there is absolutely nothing you or I can do to earn God’s love.
Though I’ve been a Believer for most of my life, on occasion I still ponder why God loves us the way He does. I drafted this blog while sitting alone in a coffee shop one night. Even in that moment, I wondered why does God love me? Why me? There’s nothing I’ve done that’s so great. So why does He keep loving me? Through overlooked inefficiencies and countless mistakes, I will readily admit that I also have been disobedient to God’s commandments, much like Eve whom we shamelessly and relentlessly blame. Yet and still, it’s often in my darkest moments that I feel God’s love is so real. It’s as real as the air I breathe, as real as the stool on which I sat perched in front of my laptop as I wrote this blog. I am grateful that God does not think I am unworthy of His unconditional love for me. Thankfully for me and you, God’s love sees beyond every one of our faults. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 4:7 that God’s love covers a ‘multitude of sin’. It also encourages us to show fervent love for one another. Love is the greatest command Jesus gave His followers. He taught by example, and we have no excuse when it comes to exhibiting the same behavior.
SPREAD LOVE
Doubtful that you can replicate God’s love? We, as believers, are created in His image. Let the heaviness of this truth absorb into your mind and heart. Allow it to ooze down into your soul. Accept the charge that we are to love one another. When it comes, heed God’s correction concerning how you show love to God, yourself, and others. In comparison to how God defines love, identify the similarities and difference. Pray for help and put forth effort in the areas that need improvement. In reality, we can only improve once we acknowledge our inefficiencies. For each inefficiency, understand that God is always the answer. He presents the resolution without fail. The Bible teaches us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, that ‘His grace is sufficient for us, for our power is made perfect in weakness.’
The next time you’re faced with a scenario that could negatively or positively impact a relationship, whether with a friend, significant other, relative or even an enemy, consider God’s definition of love. Are you doing “love” the Godly way? For example, are your words kind? Are you practicing patience? Or are you being selfish, prideful, or petty? Examine yourself. Look at your response and be honest about which areas could use improvement. We can all do a better job of loving God, ourselves, and others.