What does love feel like? I don't know the answer to this. I mean, not in explicable, easily defined terms. Is loving someone simply enjoying them? I can't see how this could possibly be. Scripture states we are to "love our enemies". I don't think we have to enjoy their company. "Love your neighbors as you love yourself." gives a little more insight. But, still I struggle with what that actually means in "take action" terms. I know I give myself preference and to loving my neighbor as myself might indicate that I should give them preference as I would myself. But, what is the LOVE part? I mean, I doubt that preference = love. It may be part of it...
Love can't be just feeling sad if someone departs or dies. I think there is a somewhat selfish aspect to that kind of feeling in that it relates to yourself in "missing the company of" that loved one. But, perhaps to a degree it's not selfish.
So, we're at: LOVE - Giving preference to someone.
Then, there's:
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love".
"This is my command: Love each other."
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
Ok, so the definition now looks more interesting: LOVE - someone you'd die for.
I would like to think that I'd die for anyone in my family. That if it came down do it, I would, without hesitation, do the needful. However, until I am actually faced with that, I will never truly know. So, is love presumptuous? In addition, would I choose to die for my brothers in Christ? Wow...love is scary. Furthermore, there are some brothers that I "love" because I HAVE to. I really don't like them at all. What about those dudes? Am I supposed to be willing to die for them? I think the answer is painfully obvious... and not what I'd choose to hear.
How? How do you truly love someone that you can't stand? Apparently, it doesn't mean I have to invite him over for dinner....just be willing to die for him.
I think there's more to this "love" word than meets the eye....
Please comment with any insight. Thanks!
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3 comments:
What? No enemies over for dinner? Rats, I was looking forward to making something yucky.
(From Les)
As you are alluding to, the Bible talks of love as a verb, something you do. I don't know of any passages that speak of love as a warm squishy feeling. For instance, people largely married someone they didn't know personally. However, they were to love that person.
My question is different, though. Can you be abiding in Christ, walking in His Spirit, or be loving if you have brothers that you "really don't like at all," or further, that you "can't stand?" The Bible tells us that we who know Jesus can have the mind and heart of God. Does He have children that He "can't stand?" If He does, I am one of them...
Don't we like or not like people based largely on selfish desires or fleshly perspectives? People who are awkward in how they talk, people who are too soft or too harsh, or do "annoying" things, they bother my flesh. If we have "righteous anger toward someone because of how they treat Jesus, being righteous would mean having God's heart about loving them anyway.
What if we see them as our enemies because they don't like us or want to harm us? I think the Biblical point is that this too us selfishness. If we view them like God does (especially if they are a Brother or Sister), who cares if they don't like me. Often times I agree with them about myself.
It seems to me that our dislikes of others come directly from the list of things labeled the "deeds of the flesh in Gal. 5:19ff. A tough list because it puts this stuff in there with some really horrid things.
Can you love someone you "can't stand?" Probably not. Loving them probably means that you can't, "can't stand" them. Loving means considering them above me, so what I like or don't like is not only irrelevant, but should melt way when I am walking in the Spirit (the wonderful following list, in Gal. 5:22-23.
My thoughts. (I think it is relatively easy to ban/block an individual from responding to your blog...)
Les
You shouldn't be looking at the outside appearances but the heart. Of course, You don't know ___'s heart, only GOD does. That's probably why he says for us not to judge.
"For in the same way you judge others you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
Should you maybe then treat him like the human God made him to be? We are all flesh.
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