WEEKLY THOUGHTS...

October 18, 2009

LOVE is a four letter word. In the English language it may well be the most misused and least understood of all the words we most commonly use in everyday language.

Think about it. We say that we love chocolate, our spouse, the sunrise, our dog, Chinese food, a special pair of shoes, our children and the color blue. We use that word LOVE to describe all those different kinds of attachments. Surely we love our children more than Chocolate or our favorite pair of shoes. The Greek language has 5 different words for love. One means brotherly love, another sexual love and so on. The highest form of love in the Greek language was AGAPE love. The closest meaning we can capture in the English language for that kind of love is: SELF SACRIFICING LOVE. It is the type of love that Jesus showed for us at the cross. He willingly sacrificed His life to give life to us.

Jesus commands that we show that kind of love to one another in John 13:34 "A new command I give you; love one another, as I have loved you, so must you love one another." When we define Love as selfless acts it brings the true meaning into prospective. Love is an easy word to say but a hard word to live out.

All people are hard to love sometimes and some people are hard to love nearly all the time. With that said we the love we are to live out toward one another is without prequalification. Jesus loves us in our most unlovable state and expects that we do so for one another. The good news is that He fills our hearts with Agape love so that we can love those around us.

The world around you is looking for real love. The kind of love that makes sacrifices and makes a difference. Go show them!