The Truth About Love
Good Morning Friends,
There is a sign in artwork in the narthex of our sanctuary that says: “We welcome you as we would welcome Christ Himself.” Now we can think about the Jesus coming in the clouds and battle of the saints in the sweet bye and bye or we can engage in the present that cloud of witnesses of the Holy Spirit and the personal battles we each face now to welcome the Jesus in each other. And that poses for us a question on how this is supposed to work. And maybe I need an attitude adjustment on this and maybe not so I just put it out there for us to think about. So friends, what is your motivation for obedience to Christ’s command to love one another…to love God? Before you answer think about how you would defend your position by asking how people would know if you love Jesus? With this in mind today we take on the challenge of the Spirit of Truth. Get your “A” game on, it is time to practice our love of Jesus even as we contemplate The Truth About Love.
Scripture:“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
John 14:15-24 (NRSV)
But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (NRSV)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
1 John 4:18 (NRSV)
Message: Each of us has directives we live by. The directive to love is at the very heart of most faith traditions, but understand this… it is also the first and foremost standard to live by for many who do not profess a specific belief. This is important for us to consider when we think about evangelism and the work of the Holy Spirit as we continue on the road to Pentecost. Now
as we know, directives can often be in conflict with each other, leading to what psychologists call cognitive dissonance. I may have love as my most important guiding principle in life, but if someone tries to take something from me and fear enters into the equation I may also firmly believe that it is right for me to defend, leading me to respond in ways that are anything but loving. What do I do in welcoming Jesus? What do I do when these two directives are in conflict, do I love or do I defend? There are three options. Fight, Flight or Faith.
But before I do anything, I must discern which directive is the more important guiding principle in my life. When I look to Scripture in my faith tradition, I find the most important directive to be faith in the power of love. Ok we know it is not always easy to love, and almost impossible when in certain kinds of conflict. We need a strong faith if love is to be our first and foremost guiding principle when we are faced with a conflicting directive. Friends, truth makes for life but love makes life worth living. I will undoubtedly die without the knowledge of many truths, but if I die without love, how pathetic is that! The great commandment has no exception clause. We are to love God and to love our neighbor with all or our heart, soul, min and strength. How does that kind of love look like in a conflict?
Pray we have a seeking heart. Pray we seek the truth about love. Pray our belief in love is strong. Pray we uphold godly standards, but never in ungodly ways. Pray we have the strength to follow the principle to love in adversity. Pray we never give up. Pray we care more for others than for self. Pray the truth in us is gentle, humble but firm and calm. Pray we are guided to love in all we do. Pray we not want what we do not have. Pray we not be proud. Pray we not have a swelled head. Pray we not force ourselves on others. Pray we be second. Pray we not fly off the handle. Pray we not keep score of others sins. Pray we not revel when others gravel. Pray we take pleasure in the flowering of truth. Pray we put up with anything. Pray we trust God always. Pray we always look for the best. Pray we never look back. Pray we follow in the way of love and keep going forward. Pray we realize that perfect love castes out fear.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 