Our society is very confused about the word love. Most people today think love is that warm, fuzzy feeling they get from the people or things that make them feel good. Though feelings are attached to some forms of the word, the strongest biblical definition of love comes from the Greek word agape, which has more to do with action than fuzzy feelings. God’s standard of love is different than the standards of most people. Love is about action; it is a behavior. Love is not felt as much as it is seen by others. You love someone when you do something kind for them. A person loves another when he gives to their needs. You can see love. When God loved, He gave. The giving did not stop when Christ came to earth as a baby, however. Jesus Christ lived a life that was also defined by love and giving. He healed the sick and lame, reached out to the outcasts, and met the needs of others while He lived on earth. He exemplified one of the foundations of love – benevolence.
Benevolence means to do something well-meaning or kindly. Anything done with a benevolent attitude is done with being charitable in mind rather than with profit (gain for you) in mind. Love is incomplete without this giving attitude, and every follower of Christ ought to be a giver as well. When we consider how much God gave by allowing Jesus Christ to die for us, it should cause us to love Him and desire to give in return.
In addition to giving for the good of another, true love upholds justice. This may seem to be a conflicting concept, but if you remember that the goal of love is achieving the very best for the one you love, it makes sense. No one likes to administer or receive punishment. Most parents do not look forward to the thought of having to discipline their child, but they understand that it must be done. Unfortunately, some parents can become so caught up in avoiding discipline that they do not follow through. When a parent denies punishment to a child who is deserving of it, he or she has done more harm than if they had administered the punishment in the first place. For a child or an adult to not be punished for the sin he has committed plants a seed in his mind: “I got away with it. I bet I can do it again and not get in trouble.” If this pattern continues, is the love you are attempting to show them really for their best? No. In fact, by showing what you think is love or kindness to that child, they may never truly understand that true love is just.
Besides benevolence and justice, other qualities of true love are mercy and forgiveness. These are even harder to understand, when we consider the holy perfection of God and His boundless love which causes Him to forgive us and pardon our sin. Jesus sets the extreme example of selfless love, because He could have exacted revenge but instead loved and forgave those who mocked Him and crucified Him. We will never achieve the depths of that love, but we can do our best to follow His example as we grow as Christians. With His power and grace enabling us, we can grown more like Christ each day.
MEMORY VERSE
“…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matthew 22:37