Talk Tuesday-Examine Your Love

How should we love? What should our love look like in relation to GOD, others and ourselves? There are so many different ways to answer this question. I have heard it said that you must first love yourself before you can love others, love is about treating people the way you want to be treated, and that it should not judge but be all inclusive. All of these statements contain a measure of truth, however when weighed against the Biblical definition of love, they fall short.

In the Bible love always begins and ends with GOD, who is love (1 John 4:8). One of the greatest statements of GOD's love is anchored in the crushing reality of John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” This is where I hear the car screech to a sudden halt, and the smell burning rubber and asphalt jar me out of my illusion. I was cruising along the road of life thinking, for many years, that I knew what love was. To be a well-balanced, loving person, was to abide by the world's definition of love which is sung about, written about and celebrated in popular culture.

Jesus is questioned by the religious leaders of his time about the application of the law to their daily lives. In Mark 12:28-33, he is asked by a teacher of the law about which of the commandments are most important. Jesus' answer begins and ends with the concept of LOVE.

28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.”
 32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

 So, I put forth the question to you. When you examine your concept of love against Biblical Scriptures, what do you think your LOVE ought to look like? Please post your comments below by clicking on the 'comments' link. We would LOVE to hear from you!