Love
I have written several posts on love over the years coming from different angles. Of course, it is a critical concern for all of us, because God is love, and we are created in the image of God. Therefore, we need to understand godly love and practice it as consistently as possible.
Love is a choice, not a feeling. Love is our decision to care for another person, so that we put their real needs and godly desires ahead of our own needs. Then, as we express our love, we develop strong feelings for the persons we love. We can and should choose to love the Lord and other people, instead of primarily loving ourselves.
When we love the Lord, we express that love by keeping His commandments. He loves for us to do His will because He knows that will lead us to the best life for us. Therefore, we please God by keeping His Word. It is not just a feeling we have for God. Of course, we can't meet His needs, because God doesn't need anything. He does have desires for us, though, so we strive to fulfill His desires.
When we love people, we do what will help them to do God's will. We help them live by His will. If we love someone, we will not help them break God's will or sin, because that will hurt them. It is not love to help someone hurt themselves or to condone their sin. Think about this. If your husband wanted to kill his boss, you would not help him or condone his anger and bitterness. You would help him see the error of his ways. That is love.
God loves everyone in the world, but He is not pleased with everyone. God's Spirit is convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment like I wrote last night, because He loves everyone in the world. It hurts Him when anyone rejects His love and goes his own way. He still loves them, but He can't condone their actions, and He has to punish them, like a good father punishes his children.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 5-7.
Love is a choice, not a feeling. Love is our decision to care for another person, so that we put their real needs and godly desires ahead of our own needs. Then, as we express our love, we develop strong feelings for the persons we love. We can and should choose to love the Lord and other people, instead of primarily loving ourselves.
When we love the Lord, we express that love by keeping His commandments. He loves for us to do His will because He knows that will lead us to the best life for us. Therefore, we please God by keeping His Word. It is not just a feeling we have for God. Of course, we can't meet His needs, because God doesn't need anything. He does have desires for us, though, so we strive to fulfill His desires.
When we love people, we do what will help them to do God's will. We help them live by His will. If we love someone, we will not help them break God's will or sin, because that will hurt them. It is not love to help someone hurt themselves or to condone their sin. Think about this. If your husband wanted to kill his boss, you would not help him or condone his anger and bitterness. You would help him see the error of his ways. That is love.
God loves everyone in the world, but He is not pleased with everyone. God's Spirit is convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment like I wrote last night, because He loves everyone in the world. It hurts Him when anyone rejects His love and goes his own way. He still loves them, but He can't condone their actions, and He has to punish them, like a good father punishes his children.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 5-7.