If I do NOT have Love...God's Love in You, Part 5
"So, no matter what
I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love." (1
Corinthians 13:3 MSG)
You men may give a beautiful necklace to your
wives. That sounds like a very loving thing to do, right? But let's say that
you give it as a truce because of a terrible fight you had. Let's say you
give it so that you won't fight anymore? Your wives will thank you for the
necklace, no doubt; but is this really love?
Or let's say that it's the middle of the night
and your 6 month child is crying. You are so tired and the following day you
need to be at your best. What if then you reach over and shake the shoulder
of your spouse and say, "Honey, can you see to the baby?" Then, when he or
she crawls out of bed, you roll over and go back to sleep? But wait: Which
one of you is the one who showed love for that child? Which one of you
showed love to the other? Maybe your spouse needs his or her sleep just as
much as you do. Maybe what he or she has on the agenda the following day is
equally as important as what you have on your agenda. Are you showing love
when you wake them up to tend the baby? Which one of you is showing love to
that baby? Which one is showing love to the other?
Let's say your 87 year-old neighbor lady loves a
beautiful lawn, and although her son faithfully comes over every week to cut
it, she is often seen pushing her lawn mower between his visits. She is also
often seen raking leaves and pulling weeds from her lawn. Your conscience
jiggles you a bit because you know her heart hasn't been good, but you
excuse it away. After all, doing work in her yard gives her life purpose!
But what if she started cutting your lawn? Digging up your weeds? Raking
your leaves? What if she has a heart attack while she is raking her leaves
or yours? How would that make you feel? Who is the one who showing love?
Too many times, we do things for our own
advantage. After all, the less we have to do, the better for us, right? And
receiving is so much less stressful than giving to others....
But is this truely love?
May I ask you two
important questions? I would urge you to take the time to meditate on them
and reflect upon your own life and actions:
1. What is love, anyway?
2. Do I take every opportunity to show true,
unselfish love, love that does not in anyway result in personal gain?
I'm afraid that I don't always reflect unselfish
love in my own life, and that has to change.
And if your meditation reveals that some of the
things you do are motivated by selfishness, than I pray that this
realization will evoke a similar result in you.
Remember: Life without love would be a horrible
existance. You would be all alone with no one to care for you. If this isn't
what you want, than contemplate what you can do to show genuine, unselfish
love to others!
Rob Chaffart
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