Wednesday, September 11, 2024
God is love. When
we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives
in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in
us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical
with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes
fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of
judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to
love—love and be loved. First, we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If
anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister,
thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see,
how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt:
Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. (1 John
4: 17 -21, The Message Bible)
In truth, my brother has been a
significant influence in my life. I am
sure that we may have fought as most siblings do, but that is not the part I remember
best. What I remember most appreciatively was and still is his constant encouragement
and support. Especially during my teen years, he was the one I would turn to
for advice and guidance. During my high school
years, I recall how many of my friends would rant and rave about their brothers
or sisters, seemingly on the verge of hating them. It was so foreign to me as I
deeply valued both my older sister and brother. Wayne was the one who welcomed
and included me in his life in so many meaningful ways. For sure, he played an important
and inspiring role in my decision to go into ministry. As the old song goes, he
ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. And I am blessed and grateful for him. But don’t tell
him I said so.
Actually, we should be more
active and vocal about the love we have for our family, friends and fellow
believers in our communities of faith. We are living in a world that seems too full
of hate, animosity, violence, brokenness and seething dislike of others. There
is too little tolerance, forgiveness, respect, acceptance, forbearance, understanding
and encouragement for one another, never mind love. We seem to isolate
ourselves from one another, divorce ourselves from each other, seclude ourselves
from those who are different, i.e. not like you or me. Be it in family life, school
life, church life, politics or on a world stage, love gets a short shrift. Too
many are “not yet fully formed in love.”
Yes, love is an overused and
overworked word, hard to define exactly and elusive. But to live without love is
indeed crippling. All of us need love and deserved to be loved. The Good News
is that we are all loved, first by God as demonstrated in the person of Jesus
Christ. We have been given a model of love in the Word made flesh, Jesus. “Let
me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you
love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my
disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13: 34
-35, TMB)
As a seminary student, I spent a summer as a chaplain at a correctional center for juvenile offenders. I led Wednesday chapels which were compulsory for the youth. Early on, I used the 1 Corinthians 13 chapter on love as my text. After my “brilliant” discourse of what Love is, a young boy stood and yelled out that he was tired of always hearing about love at chapel services. He thought it was a bunch of baloney. When people lead lives without much, if any, love, it is easy to become cynical, bitter and doubtful.
Which is to say, that love without
actions, works and deeds ends up as a bunch of cliches and tired old love songs.
“Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (James 2:8, New Living translation) This
love is tangible, personal, generous, abundant, and even sacrificial, at times.
The Gospel Love is expressed by what we do, say and practice. We are to love one
another, as brothers and sisters, both literally and figuratively.
These words are as true as ever.
“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t
want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t
force itself on others, isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t
keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes
pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always
looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.” (1 Corinthians 13: 5-7, TMB)
Happy birthday, Bro!
Dale
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