Designed for Love

The two most difficult things to get straight in life are Love and God. More often than not, the mess people make of their lives can be traced to failure or stupidity or meanness in one or both of these areas.

The basic and biblical Christian conviction is that the two subjects are intricately related. If we want to deal with God the right way, we have to learn how to love the right way. If we want to learn to love the right way, we have to learn how to deal with God the right way. God and love cannot be separated.

Jesus provides the full and true understanding of God; Jesus shows the mature working-out of love. In Jesus, God and love are linked accurately, intricately, and indissolubly.

But there are always people around who don't want to be pinned down to the God Jesus reveals, to the love Jesus reveals. They want to make up their own idea of God, make up their own style of love.

--Message-1 John


Love has been so diluted, corrupted and misrepresented in today's culture. Love is not a fond feeling, or ooey-gooey emotion, in fact it's quite the opposite. Love is challenging, it's a choice, and it's an undertaking that requires commitment. If we really knew about love, it might trigger a second thought. The truth is our culture has taught us that love and infatuation are one and the same with every story ending in 'happily ever after'.

Not so.

If you are a christian, love is actually a command! The greatest commandment is said,

"Love the Lord Your God with all your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength, and secondly, Love your neighbor as yourself".

This is impossible by our mere human abilities, but with God everything is possible. He knows us better then we know ourselves, and He deciphers the motives of each heart. Loving God is hard enough, especially in all that we are, but with a humble approach and a desire to live for His purposes, He will handle the rest. He is able to manifest the most unbelievable, loving character within us and when this happens there is no way to keep it under lock and key. Therefore the second command is much more easily met.

Love is this:

1. Patient
2. Kind
3. Not envious
4. Doesn't Boast(brag)
5. Not Proud
6. Not Rude
7. Not self seeking
8. Not easily angered
9. Keeps no records of wrongs
10. Does not delight in evil(sin)
11. Rejoices with the truth
12. Always protects
13. Always trusts
14. Always hopes
15. Always perseveres
    
16. And NEVER fails!

Apart from being a command, Love is a free gift with no expectation of return. This is what makes it so beautiful, and why love can never fail. It is a gift with no strings attached.

(<------maybe not quite, but it made me laugh)

As we enter this Valentines Day, let's make it meaningful and try on true love for a change. God has promised '[But]...if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him'(1 John 2:5)....'God is love. Anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God in him'.(1 John4:16) So as we are giving freely, God's unconditional love is our recompense and our hearts will be truly satisfied.