Love

There have been more songs, poems, books, and letters written about love than any other subject in history. And love is the central theme of the Bible. The Bible is a love story between the Creator of the universe and His crowning achievement — you and me. By faith, we can be transformed by His life-changing love.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in some pretty low places. As a young person, I spent several years chasing stuff I thought I loved, without a clue that those things could never satisfy my soul. My lifestyle was out of control with drinking and smoking pot. My parents found out about my wrongdoings due, in part, to a phone call from the father of a former girlfriend who was irate over my corruption of his daughter. Dad gave me a clear choice: change, or leave.

Although my heart felt as dead as the ashes of a burned-out campfire, I wasn’t ready to step out in faith. I left home and continued my wild living and debauchery, consuming booze, drugs, and sex at an alarming rate. I certainly wasn’t treating others with love or respect. I didn’t care who or what I hurt with my choices.

Then one day I had an epiphany . . . on the receiving end of a jealous husband’s crowbar. That definitely wasn’t my finest hour. And yet, even though I had been running in the wrong direction in full stampede mode, the love of God reached down and brought me out of the slimy pit that David talks about in Psalm 40:2. You see, as passionate as I was about pursuing my sinful ways, God was more passionate about His pursuit of me with His graciousness and unconditional love. This is a very important reality for us to wrap our minds around: Love is the defining characteristic of God. And “he who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Furthermore, the Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). I came to faith in Jesus when I realized how passionate God was about loving and pursuing me.

That day my prodigal wanderings ended. I stepped out in faith and made the decision to give my life and will to Christ’s control. I soon returned home and, like the parable Jesus told about the prodigal son in Luke 15, my own father welcomed me back with celebration and open arms. I learned that where there is no faith, there can be no true love. But when we place our faith in Jesus, we experience a love that has no boundaries. What’s more, with God’s love we will have a new life, a passionate life, a full life — and a life that allows us to love one another as we have been loved by Him.

Taken from The Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible