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THIS IS LOVE This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – We love because he first loved us. -1 John 4:10, 19Valentine’s Day gives us a good reason to go back to some of the basics. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about more than candy and red hearts; it’s supposed to be about love. But with all the cartoons illustrating what “love is,” and all the TV drama about relationships, do we really know what love is. I don’t think so. It’s apparent from what some couples tell us in the counseling room that many people have misguided ideas about love. Yet the Scriptures are very clear on this issue: love is sacrificing for the needs of another. It’s not about “oceans of emotions accompanied with expanses of expenses.” It’s about sacrifice. To the extent that you are sacrificing for the needs of another (not their wants), to that extent you are loving them. To the extent that you do not sacrifice for the needs of another you are not loving them. In case you haven’t noticed, love is totally unconditional. It has nothing to do with how the other person treats you. It’s not “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine.” It’s simply, I’ll scratch your back –period! God demonstrated love by giving His only Son for our need for salvation. We didn’t want it; we didn’t think we needed it. In fact, those who traveled with Jesus wanted salvation from the Romans, never mind salvation from their sin. But God knew the need, and in Christ He gave Himself for that need. Jesus didn’t say from the cross, “I’ll hang here if you’ll promise to consider my offer.” He simply hung! No conditions; no strings. He just gave Himself up for “whosoever will.” Along with the candy and red hearts, let’s rededicate ourselves to loving as God intended us to love, selflessly and unconditionally. Anything else just isn’t love. Question for the both of us: I what ways do I feel I have been able to love unconditionally. I what ways have I had difficulty with this whole idea? Prayer for the Both of us: Lord, help us to be reminded of how much you love us, and gave yourself up for us totally, and unconditionally. And help that divine love flow through us to one another. Let this Valentine’s Day be about more than candy and red hearts. Let it be about real love as God demonstrated –totally and unconditionally. |
© 2007 Marriage & Family Savers Ministries