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What is Love?
On the first day of this plan, we defined love as affection for a person or object.
Everyone loves Mrs. Smith.
Give them my love.
Basketball was his first love.
There are a variety of definitions we could attribute to the word love and most would be appropriate. However, when we examine the word love from God’s viewpoint, we get a different picture of what love really is. It’s actually the foundation of our faith in Jesus, because God loved the entire world enough to send His Son to pay the penalty for all of our sins.
It’s hard to grasp God’s generosity in giving His Son for us, but the Bible speaks about His love so powerfully. Because of Him, we have the ability to love (1 John 1:9). Jesus calls us to love and says that people will know we follow Him by our love (John 13:34-35). The Apostle Paul tells us that love is patient and kind, that it's not selfish, proud, dishonoring, or rude (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), and that love binds over everything in perfect unity (Colossians 3:14).
How do we live it out?
The call to love others came straight from Jesus, and love is best demonstrated in our relationships. It’s not a do whatever feels right in the moment kind of love. Love is action. Truly loving others will be uncomfortable at times, because it goes against our selfish, human nature. But love seeks to build bridges, chooses to honor others, and shows respect for all people regardless of differing viewpoints. We most beautifully represent Jesus when we love people, for it’s in these selfless acts that the world will see a Savior who’s worth following.
What do I do when my love is low?
Sometimes it feels great to love others deeply and at other times, we simply make the choice to act in love even if we don’t feel like it. At times we want to hurt someone with our words or actions because our love tank is running on empty, but know that stepping back from a toxic situation will bring better results. Ultimately, when we feel depleted in the love category, let’s remind ourselves of all God has done for us and walk with a grateful heart. Choosing to love will actually increase our love and will lead us to love others well.
About this Plan
The Apostle Paul wrote that out of everything in life, three things remain: faith, hope, and love. What do these actually mean for us as followers of Jesus, and how do we live them out? In this 4-day Plan, we’ll learn more about these attributes, and understand how to live a life where we daily exercise faith, hope, and love.
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