April 10, 2008
Love
In Action
What
is love? Is it a feeling? Is it an emotion? Is it a reaction?
Love
is an action.
1
Corinthians 13:4-7
Love
suffers long and is kind; Love
perseveres pain. It is thoughtful.
love
does not envy; Love gives without
expecting a return.
love
does not parade itself, Love serves
others.
is
not puffed up; Love washes dirty feet.
does
not behave rudely, Love considers
others.
does
not seek its own, Love goes beyond
convenience.
is
not provoked, Love gives willingly.
thinks
no evil; Love seeks righteousness.
does
not rejoice in iniquity, Love hates sin.
but
rejoices in the truth; Love desires
honesty.
bears
all things, Love carries burdens.
believes
all things, Love trusts.
hopes
all things, Love expects victory.
endures
all things. Love commits.
Proverbs
10:12 says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
Jesus’ blood covers us too. It causes us to be declared not guilty. In other
words, love will forgive others of offences we have taken. Love will protect
others from harm just as Christ’s blood protects us from the enemy. Christ’s
shed blood must be appropriated.
Love
must be put into action. Dear children, let us not love
with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1
John 3:18-19 God is love. In God’s love, He corrects, chastens, and
disciplines us. Sometimes love feels unpleasant. Could we love a brother and not
warn him of impending danger? Should we sugarcoat the truth so he won’t be
offended? Or, would it be more loving to hurt his feelings and grab his
attention? Should we worry about his anger or his rejection of us if we speak
the truth? No, we are called to please God and not man.
Love
does not tolerate sin, join in self-pity, or ignore rebellion. If that were so,
we would not be called to preach to the lost. The sad thing is that many
professing Christians today are sitting in church lost. Pastors and believers
are reluctant to speak the truth, because people so quickly take offense. We can
pamper people all the way to hell if we refuse to speak up.
We
are called to be light and salt. Light can hurt our eyes if they are used to the
dark and salt stings an open wound. The word of God is truth. The truth will set
others and us free.
Can
you love others enough to tell them the truth?
Can
you love yourself enough to face the truth?
Faithful
are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs
27:6