Learning About Love by Spending Time with God
I needed to know more
Spending time with God both through prayer and reading His word can help answer many of life’s tough questions. In fact the more time you spend with Him the more you will learn about His amazing love. One of the most wonderful things that can happen when you spend time with God is that you will begin to spread that love to others in ways you may not even realize until you meet Christ in Heaven.
For instance, Growing up as a teenager I had many questions: Why am I here? Who is God? What’s the right thing to do? Etc, etc. Thirteen is not an age I wish on anyone!
However, at that age, I also received many blessings. One of the blessings I received was the introduction to an active youth group in a church with a pastor who had a Godly heart.
The Cornerstone
Attending this church helped grow my faith. It laid a foundation that has endured to this day. Many good things about Jesus were taught at this church including the meaning of love.
In fact, Every time I would go downstairs to enter the youth area I would pass by an embroidered plaque with a verse from 1st Corinthians chapter 13. Although I never knew who stitched this plaque, the time and effort it took to make it was an act of love that has stuck with me for over 40 years. This plaque, made by someone with a great passion for spreading God’s love, was a cornerstone to the foundation of Christ’s love that dwells in my soul. Most of us have seen this verse or at least heard it spoken many times:
“Love is patient; Love is kind, Love endures all things.”
However, to a child who didn’t know anything about love, wow, what a profound thought. I was so inspired by it that I had to see what the rest of that verse had to say about love.
Learning More by Spending Time in His Word
Later that evening, I opened the bible and read the whole verse. God had just taught me my first lesson in biblical, agape love. I had no real example of love in my home. My parents were, at best, unaffectionate and did not know how to show or give love. The word “love” was never used in my family.
However, Jesus wanted to teach me the true meaning of love and that it does exist. He wanted me to learn that true love isn’t based on good deeds. in fact, good deeds doesn’t necessarily mean love is actually being shown. Many people can appear to be loving when deep inside they don’t possess agape love.
Gifts or Love?
The verse penned by Paul originally stated that even though people received spiritual gifts, these gifts mean nothing without love.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
Love is Love isn’t
Everything in this passage lists what love is and what love isn’t: Patient, kind, rejoices in truth, bears up under all problems-protects, believes-trusts, hopes, understands the faults of others. Love never fails- it perseveres, it is not envious, love is not proud or boastful, inappropriate or rude, selfish or short-tempered, love is not evil or accepting of sin.
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
“8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”
“11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
The Greatest Gift
All but three things will pass away eventually, Only faith, hope, and love (charity in some editions of the Bible) remain. Remember love is the key above all other things. When Jesus returns to restore His kingdom on this Earth all Love will be restored to a level that would please Jesus.
God’s influence on a thirteen-year-old boy can be profound. It was then I realized love isn’t something I try to acquire; it should be something I try to give, even to the point of sacrifice, just like Jesus. This skill took years to mature, but it was necessary for my family to have the best husband and father I could be.
Regardless of age or maturity level, love is something you should give to others even when you won’t receive anything in return. Jesus did the same for us on the cross; the ultimate act of sacrificial love.
CWS/abs