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By Rev. Mark E. Vatcher
Where does Love come from? What does it mean to us? Some would
say that love is just another emotion in a long list of emotions we feel
from minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day. Should love be
included with other emotions like; anger, sadness, happiness, fear?
Do we hold the same value of love as we do other emotions? No one
longs to be in fear of something. We do not look forward to having
sadness or hatred fill our hearts. People long to love and be loved.
Why? Because we have been created, with the same nature as God,
God created us in His image, and God is love.
The Lord spoke in (1st John 4:7-8) saying, “Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is God; and everyone who loves is born of God and
knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is
love.” It is one of the most precious gifts that God has given us. Let me
share with you a wonderful quote, from Nancy Reagan, about what
love is.
Where does Love come from? What does it mean to us? Some would
say that love is just another emotion in a long list of emotions we feel
from minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day. Should love be
included with other emotions like; anger, sadness, happiness, fear?
Do we hold the same value of love as we do other emotions? No one
longs to be in fear of something. We do not look forward to having
sadness or hatred fill our hearts. People long to love and be loved.
Why? Because we have been created, with the same nature as God,
God created us in His image, and God is love.
The Lord spoke in (1st John 4:7-8) saying, “Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is God; and everyone who loves is born of God and
knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is
love.” It is one of the most precious gifts that God has given us. Let me
share with you a wonderful quote, from Nancy Reagan, about what
love is.
Love means giving one's self to another person fully, not just
physically. When two people really love each other, this helps
them to stay alive and grow. One must really be loved to
grow. Love's such a precious and fragile thing that when it
comes we have to hold on tightly. And when it comes we're
very lucky because for some it never comes at all. If you have
love, you're wealthy in a way that can never be measured.
Cherish it.
We all long to experience love, and we all desire to have a
relationship that is unconditional, unselfish, full of joy, never ending;
this desire and example of love comes only from God.
(Corinthians 13:4-7) “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or
boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is
not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is
never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures
through every circumstance.”
It is sad to say, but until now in my own marriage, I have only seen
this type of love, on a few occasions. I am a people watcher, I enjoy
studying how couples interact with one another and the ones that truly
love each other, as God intended, stand out like a sore thumb. They
are impossible to miss, because they have a joy about them that is so
rare, others can not help but to notice. Their relationship is the
example of 1 Corinthians 13 in action.
Love manifests itself in many different ways. Love is; tenderness,
devotion, self-sacrifice, acts of service to God, affection, desire,
kindness. The foundation of this type of love is God. Through God’s
example the emotion of love is being radiated on all people. God
wants each and every one of us to experience this type of love, here on
earth, because of His love for us.
Our goal during our Christian journey should be to manifest these
fruits of the Spirit, in our daily lives, to everyone around us.
Whether it is our spouse, children, family, friends, strangers or even
our enemies. We should be sharing the love of Christ with everyone
by our example.
The Lord said in (Matthew 5:46) “For if you love those who love you,
what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” He is
telling us that He gives His love to all and expects us to do likewise.
We are able to share our love through service, kindness, and
tenderness of heart to our family, friends, strangers, and yes even our
enemies. (Romans 12:20) “Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed
him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; That is love! Love has no
boundaries; it is priceless but yet it is free to give without expecting
anything in return.
What do you think the Bible means by the verse (Matthew 6:19-20)
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven.” This verse is about giving, not
receiving. We are to give of ourselves sacrificially, loving others,
even though they do to deserve our kindness.
We have very limited time here on earth, to earn the crowns, that we
will be throwing at Jesus’ feet. Once we are called home, and leave
this earth, there will be no other opportunities for us to help the
needy, to love the unlovable, to show non-believers the love of
Christ. Our work will be finished. What we do here and now, on
earth, will be our reward for all eternity. We need to spread Gods
love out wherever we go, leaving a piece of it with each and every
person we come in contact with. It could be as easy as, holding the
door for another person, giving money to the needy, or simply saying
God bless you to a stranger.
God’s plan is for us to love one another as Christ loves you,
unconditionally. (Matthew 5:43-45) “you have heard that it was said,
you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you,
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who
hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His
sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on
the unjust.”
That’s pretty clear, that God loves us all both the good and bad, but
here is the difference, God’s chosen ones, must share this love to show
those who do not know Jesus what love is. We must let Gods love
flow out of us, and as we do, His loving kindness and tender mercies
will call others to repentance.
physically. When two people really love each other, this helps
them to stay alive and grow. One must really be loved to
grow. Love's such a precious and fragile thing that when it
comes we have to hold on tightly. And when it comes we're
very lucky because for some it never comes at all. If you have
love, you're wealthy in a way that can never be measured.
Cherish it.
We all long to experience love, and we all desire to have a
relationship that is unconditional, unselfish, full of joy, never ending;
this desire and example of love comes only from God.
(Corinthians 13:4-7) “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or
boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is
not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is
never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures
through every circumstance.”
It is sad to say, but until now in my own marriage, I have only seen
this type of love, on a few occasions. I am a people watcher, I enjoy
studying how couples interact with one another and the ones that truly
love each other, as God intended, stand out like a sore thumb. They
are impossible to miss, because they have a joy about them that is so
rare, others can not help but to notice. Their relationship is the
example of 1 Corinthians 13 in action.
Love manifests itself in many different ways. Love is; tenderness,
devotion, self-sacrifice, acts of service to God, affection, desire,
kindness. The foundation of this type of love is God. Through God’s
example the emotion of love is being radiated on all people. God
wants each and every one of us to experience this type of love, here on
earth, because of His love for us.
Our goal during our Christian journey should be to manifest these
fruits of the Spirit, in our daily lives, to everyone around us.
Whether it is our spouse, children, family, friends, strangers or even
our enemies. We should be sharing the love of Christ with everyone
by our example.
The Lord said in (Matthew 5:46) “For if you love those who love you,
what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” He is
telling us that He gives His love to all and expects us to do likewise.
We are able to share our love through service, kindness, and
tenderness of heart to our family, friends, strangers, and yes even our
enemies. (Romans 12:20) “Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed
him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; That is love! Love has no
boundaries; it is priceless but yet it is free to give without expecting
anything in return.
What do you think the Bible means by the verse (Matthew 6:19-20)
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven.” This verse is about giving, not
receiving. We are to give of ourselves sacrificially, loving others,
even though they do to deserve our kindness.
We have very limited time here on earth, to earn the crowns, that we
will be throwing at Jesus’ feet. Once we are called home, and leave
this earth, there will be no other opportunities for us to help the
needy, to love the unlovable, to show non-believers the love of
Christ. Our work will be finished. What we do here and now, on
earth, will be our reward for all eternity. We need to spread Gods
love out wherever we go, leaving a piece of it with each and every
person we come in contact with. It could be as easy as, holding the
door for another person, giving money to the needy, or simply saying
God bless you to a stranger.
God’s plan is for us to love one another as Christ loves you,
unconditionally. (Matthew 5:43-45) “you have heard that it was said,
you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you,
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who
hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His
sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on
the unjust.”
That’s pretty clear, that God loves us all both the good and bad, but
here is the difference, God’s chosen ones, must share this love to show
those who do not know Jesus what love is. We must let Gods love
flow out of us, and as we do, His loving kindness and tender mercies
will call others to repentance.
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