If I died for you...

You may know me, you may not. But if someone came up to tomorrow and told you for whatever reason, I died so that you could live… What would your first thought be? If you died for me, and I knew you, I’d be able to understand a little bit. But, if I didn’t know who you were, I’d wonder who you were and who I was to you...

It’s not really hard to feel strongly about someone who would do this. Knowing I couldn’t ever thank that person, I’d feel like I owed them something and could never repay them.

Over time, that person easily becomes a part of your life. Anyone you meet becomes a part of your life and has the potential to gain your love, depending on how much their involved. Sure love is a gradual thing... and it can be hard to determine if you actually love someone.

It makes me think then… “How do I know I love someone?” or “What exactly is love?”

With anything I question, I turn to the dictionary first, because it lays out a concept that allows me to at least begin to understand something. So with defining love, the first thing I notice is there are countless definitions and meanings for this one word, many of them either involving “affection” or “sex”. To my surprise – here in this reference that has no view toward any particular faith, belief or theory – I see God’s name among the list of meanings.
It reads:
“the benevolent affection of God for his creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God”

Now wait a minute… How amazing is it that you can’t define love without God, in a world free to believe what they want to believe. Getting back to the definition however, I notice there’s that word “affection” again. So I define that. Along with it being described as “the state of being affected” it is “a fond attachment, devotion, or love.” Hmm… the state of being affected… That sounds a lot like what someone does when they become a part of your life. They make some kind of affect, even so simple as to meet you, or so extreme as to give up their life, so that you can live yours.

Earlier I mentioned the feeling of owing someone who would die for you. When someone dies for you, you can easily say “You owe them your life.” This is what giving your life to Christ is. He’s died for you, and in turn, you owe it to him to live “your life” for “Him” (because He gave up His for yours.)

Now you may ask… "What’s love got to do with it? What's love, but a second hand in motion?"

Let’s look at it like this:
A well know scripture is John 3:16. The first part of this scripture reads:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son…”
Before I get deeper into this, let’s just go back to the family of the sacrificed, which I mentioned earlier. When anyone dies, they leave someone behind, be it a mother, brother, father, or sister. If I were to die for you, and you attended my funeral, it’s not hard to believe your relationship with my family would be affected. The message I want to relay with this is that the relationship between you and God strengthened – as it would with any deceased member’s family. But He gave His ‘only Son’ as a sacrifice. Now this changes a lot. Not only did Jesus die for you, but under His father’s will, he agreed to sacrifice Himself for you.

Now picture my dad, being the reason behind me giving my life for you. He’d have to feel strongly towards you to be able to be willing to sacrifice his son, let alone his child.

I don’t know if anything I’ve said thus far makes any sense at all to you, but basically I’ve been trying to illustrate the greatest example of love to help you understand this phenomenon called Love.
The bible says, “We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave His life for us. (1John 3:16)” It also says “We must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words. (1John 3:18)” There’s a difference between telling someone you love them and then actually living like you love them.
Live to love.... God and His people.

Be blessed,
C.j.

insights of love

This month's topic shares insight about love. Love is a special topic in the hearts of everyone because our world is engulfed in the spiritual power of love. Everyone talks about it. Friends ask each other if they love each other. Parents say "I love you" to their children. At wedding young couples whisper "I love you" in their precious vows. Many song lyrics boost the feelings of love. It is easy to love your friends, family, boyfriend/girlfriend and others. However "to love your enemies" takes true discipline of your will. I would like to share why we should love those who persecute you even if you "feel" like you want to punch them literally.
Loving your enemies is a contradictory according to the world's standards. We have seen many examples on hating your enemies and trashing their reputations. Movies such as Mean Girls and Superman show how we have archrivals and our missions in life are to destroy them. God says the total opposite of the world. In Matt 5:43-45 Jesus says " You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy, But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." You might be wondering why should I love and even pray for enemies but God gives a clear answer "that you may be children of your Father in Heaven." (Matt 5: 46). In case we don't remember, when we accepted God in our lives, we become His Children. We desire to be like Him. It is the same concept when I was little and I wanted to be like my dad. I would wear his shoes and walk around the house mimicing his every move. Just like I wanted to be like my Biological Father, I want to be like my Heavenly Father. God loves everyone including those who spat on His Son. We should do the same and love people who have hurt us.
Loving your enemies will humble you and get rid of your pride. When you first show God's love to those who persecute you; it will feel awkward for your flesh because your flesh wants to hate enemies but God inside you loves them. The more you show love and kindness to your enemie, the more comfortable you will get interacting with the person. With my first encounter of my "proposed" enemy, she gave me a look that could kill. At first I wanted to send curses to her and let her suffer much more than she made me suffer. But God reminded me of what His word says about loving your enemies. Luke 6:28 gives excellent wisdom and I highly recommend you read this powerful scripture. God wanted me to pray and bless her. At first, my flesh did not want to but we should not comply with our feelings but comply with what God says. I started to think positive about her and pray for her. Soon I began show love and kindness to her without hesitation. The more I show her God's love the more I show compassion toward her. Now I have no grudges toward her. There no hardness in my heart toward her. Show love as we have been shown love from God.
Even our enemies are loved by God so we ought to love them. God loves so there is no rational reason why we can't love that person or people. Our problem is that we see them in carnal eyes. When we continue to renew our mind and see them with spiritual eyes then we will see them as God does...one of his beloved creations. When we see them as God sees them then we will see them as Kings and Queens in God's Kingdom. Even if they are not saved now, they will be future royalties when they accept God into their lives. The more we love them then they will see Jesus. The more Jesus they see in us then the more we become more like our Heavenly dad.

-Brittany (FSU)

Do you love me?

There is one truth I have learned that has always stayed with me; I don’t know where I heard it but it has resounded in my heart and mind for years and I know it’s true: Love is not a feeling, love is a commitment.

My dad said he loved us, but he left us. He said he loved my mom but he left her. I saw my friend talk about her new boyfriend; she said she was in love….a month later they had broken up. Friends say they love each other, and then stab each other in the back. Parents say they love their kids yet bring harm and abuse to them. Everyday thousands of people get married. They vow that for better and for worse, through richer and poorer, through any and every obstacle that comes their way that they will love each other forever. At least half of them are divorced within a few years.

What is this thing we call “love” that seems so hard to come by?

The Bible says that: God is Love.

The Bible says:

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always 'me first,'
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies.

What does this mean? It means that Love is not about a feeling! Love is about giving! It is a commitment. As humans we tend to walk around looking for what people can give to us, what we can get out of something. But that is not how God intended. God sent Jesus to the cross to die for us when there was nothing in it for him except to be able to have a relationship with us. God is Love; he is the ultimate example of how we should be! There’s nothing we can ever do for him to repay what He did. Love gives, love cares.

This is the foundation. Study and learn and let God teach you what it means, what it specifically looks like in your life.

-Arlene
crossoverncm@hotmail.com