L-O-V-E

Although today is Valentines Day....I have wanted to write this post for awhile. I feel the need to write about love because I am learning about it right now in my life. (Note: This post is NOT just about romantic love. It is about love in general)

In September, Nathan began to teach the Sr. high students at our church about the book of 1 John in the Bible, which is mainly about love. Then not long after, our pastors began to preach about love to the church. We have been learning about love since then almost every Sunday. 

I've read 1 Corinthians 13 a zillion times which explains what love is. Sometimes when I hear a verse so many times, it loses its meaning. But God has brought 1 Corinthians 13 back to my attention lately. Here are the verses again:

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I began to examine my own life. Am I these things to the people around me? When Jace was a newborn, I was exhausted. I like my sleep and getting up every 2 hours to feed him in the night was very tiring. When I am tired I am much more irritable. Needless to say, there were times I was very angry or very impatient. (Things have improved but I still get impatient sometimes). I realized that although emotionally I love my son, I was not acting it out. Love is NOT an emotion. Love is action. 

For example: 

I love cake. I like the taste and I could eat it daily if I wanted to. But am I patient toward cake? Do I get angry with cake? No of course not. You can't really show love as an action toward objects. Therefore it does not make sense to say "I love cake". Saying "I like cake" makes more sense. 

I love my husband. Emotionally yes I feel a bond with him that I do not feel with others. But I also have to work harder to be patient with him, to not get angry, to keep no record of wrongs, etc. Why? Because I live with him and because I choose to. I have chosen to be one with him, which means I have a love for him that I have for nobody else. 

If love is an emotion then it is always self-seeking. You would love somebody until they began to treat you terribly. Then the emotions go out the door because  you are no longer receiving what you want. This doesn't even have to be about romantic love. This could work in a friendship too. We choose to be with people as long as they treat us the way we want to be treated and our emotions follow. If love is an emotion, then when somebody better comes along, we could easily drop the first person because they no longer give us what we want.

But love isn't an emotion. It's an action AND a choice. I have to daily choose to love the people around me. If Jace doesn't sleep and keeps me up all night, I have to choose to be patient....choose to not get angry. Choose to love him. If Nathan speaks to me rudely or insults me, I still choose how I react. Even when people are not loving me, I still need to choose to love them.

Some people just annoy me. Our personalities clash. Is this loving of me? No of course not. I need to daily submit that to God until I love that person. 

One of my favourite things about love is that....GOD IS LOVE! (1 John 4:8)

This means that GOD is patient, GOD is kind. HE does not envy, HE does not boast,  HE is not proud.   HE does not dishonor others, HE is not self-seeking, HE is not easily angered, HE keeps no record of wrongs. HE does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  HE always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  GOD never fails.

This is a view that most of the world would disagree with. Many people (including some Christians) think God is always angry and ready to strike when the time is right (fire and brimstone anyone?). But he loves (as an action) more than we know. Jesus did after all give up his throne to become a human only to die that we MIGHT choose Him. He didn't die knowing we'd all turn to Him. He chose to love us even though emotionally he might not be satisfied because of us. His love is an action, not an emotion. He loved when we might not love back. How beautiful. 

What a fantastic example Christ is for what love is. 

Happy Valentines Day.

Mediocre?

There is an overarching theme that I see in my previous blogs. I always feel compelled to write about apathy in North American Christians. I'm telling you that I can name 10 MAYBE 15 people who I've met in my life who are passionately in love with God. That's pretty sad considering I've met hundreds of Christians. I've grown up in church and have attended a few different churches. I've been to Christian camp. I went to a Christian high school. I have attended three Bible schools. I've met Christians through other Christians. Hundreds of Christians have I met. How many of us are passionate about God. Probably 15. Myself NOT included. Do I love God, yes. But does my life revolve around God all the time? No.

I continually keep thinking that I just need to work harder, when this is not the case. Ultimately I just need to encounter God and how could I not be changed?

One of my favourite songs is 'Holy' by Jesus culture. The first three lines are so true:

Just one look on Your face
Just one glance of your eyes
My whole world is changed

When I have REALLY encountered God....I am a different person than normal. I'm joyful all the time. I'm willing to die for God. I submit my dreams and plans to God. I am willing to do whatever the case. I constantly pray for people and yearn for them to know God. I want to praise God and sing and dance and be in His presence. But this is not the case every day.

 My typical day is battling between spending time with God (which ends up being mediocre at best) or watching TV or going on the internet (assuming Jace is napping).

“A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

I don't want the spirit of religion. I want the Holy Spirit. I don't want to 'spend time with God' if it is mediocre. Because then it can't be actually spending time with God....because nothing can be mediocre with God. If you meet with God and experience Him and have relationship with Him...NOTHING is mediocre about that.

The rest of 'Holy' by Jesus Culture is my prayer today:

Oh I seek only to see Your face
I don’t wanna go anywhere without You God
Without Your presence
Oh let me see Your face
The beauty of Your holiness God
Take me into the holy place

And only one word comes to mind
There’s only one word to describe

Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty

There is no one like You
You are Holy
Holy