1 John 3:16-20
When
my daughter was about 10 years old, we were riding in the car when a song came
on the radio. She asked me in her sweet, innocent 10 year old voice, “What are
they singing about Daddy”. I listened for a minute, and simply replied, “Love”.
Isn’t
that always the answer? But how do you define love? In the media, it is
normally defined as romantic. In advertising, it is defined as something you desire.
In politics… well never mind. But truth be known, everybody seems to have their
own definition of love.
Adding
to the confusion is how we use the word. “I love
this pizza”. “I love my car”. “I love that perfume”. “I love the Buckeyes”. “I love my church”. Love has as many
different applications as there are… objects to love.
According
to the Urban dictionary, the saying “talk is cheap” is defined as: “a phrase
used to indicate an individual’s inclination to verbalize opinions, stances, or
other traits and subsequent reluctance to act upon said traits”. Talk is cheap. Everybody has a different
opinion of what love is.
John,
who was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, had this to say about how to define
love.
16 This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us.
We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! GNT
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with
actions and in truth. NIV
Not
surprisingly though, talk was not cheap for Jesus, and he set the bar high.
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater
love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You
are my friends if you do what I command. John 15
NIV
How
do you measure up to Jesus’ standard? Thankfully, we have a gracious Lord who
paid the price so that even with our worst failure, we are still forgiven and
loved. And because of his love, we can show it to others, not just by our
words, but by our actions.
(If
God has spoken to you, or touched your heart through this devotional, please
feel free to share it with others.)
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