Your Daily Devotional for September 9, 2007

 

September 9,  2007

 

 

Defining Love

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

 

 

Author C.S. Lewis once wrote, "Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

 

Yesterday, we saw that God desires for us to have patience or longsuffering in our lives. This fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives as we are daily walking with Him and seeking Him through His Word. Another fruit of the Spirit we must have is charity, or love.

 

Our culture has redefined the word love. While the world around us tells us love is an emotion, God shows us that love is a choice. It is choosing to love someone and showing them our love through our actions. People today are looking for love but are often finding it in the wrong places. God desires to be our source of love.

 

The Bible uses several different Greek root words for our English word love. One word the Bible uses is philos which refers to a brotherly love. It is the word used to show the love between friends. Also, the Bible uses the word agape. This word carries a stronger meaning and is used in reference to a high level of divine love.

 

Someone once defined agape love as this: "Agape love is the deliberate effort, made with the help of God, to never seek anything but the best for others, even if they seek the worst for us." God desires that we would have an agape love to those around us.

 

Agape love does not love simply when it is convenient or when we feel like it, but because it is what God has commanded. There will be times in our lives when we do not feel like loving someone, but that is when agape love must take over. We must look to Christ for strength and display our love to others.

 

God has given us an example of agape love in His Word. First John 4:7-9 says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." Christ showed us His love by dying on the Cross. He did not die for us simply because He had an emotion of love, but because He made a choice to honor and obey His Father. God loved us so much that he gave!

 

God showed us His love by dying on Calvary. How are you showing your love to those around you? True agape love is not merely an emotion but is an action. We must show others the love of Christ through us by acting out our love. Ask God to help you love others today even if you do not feel like it.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Proverbs 6-7 • 2 Corinthians 2

 

 

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