Posted by
The Gadfly on Thursday, February 28, 2008 5:06:12 AM
There has been a lot of misleading talk about love these days, especially in the print media. Women's magazines seem to drip and ooze a mushy, pungent (and sometimes noxious) swill of feminized and sexualized love, while men's magazines shift to an objectification of love in the form of lust for the flesh. The Scriptures tell of a different kind of love, which from the very beginning was NOT meant to be expressed strictly in terms of feelings.
The love of a parent for a child was clearly seen in the Creation account in Genesis. God carefully and patiently watched over and adored His first two human offspring (created in His image no less.) God's deep and abiding affection was sorely tested by their fall from grace, yet God's unconditional love continued to reach out to Adam and Eve and their offspring. Love required the use of discipline to correct wayward behavior, even when the consequences seemed severe.
Love also showed itself in the quality of God's mercy extended to His children in spite of their sins. God continues to provide air, rain, sunlight, food, and shelter among many other blessings to those he considers wicked, as well as righteous. Impartiality appears to be another quality, which love emulates.
Compassion for those in need is another hallmark quality of love. The blessings of healing, restoration, and reconciliation all spring from the deep well of empathy for the oppressed, misfortunate, and down-trodden. Reaching out in times of disaster to bring relief and aid to the dispossessed is a genuine expression of love.
The greatest of all qualities expressed through love is sacrifice. It is the conscious decision of the lover to forsake all selfish desires and selflessly give for the sake of the loved. It is the picture of Christ crucified, having suffered humiliation, torment, and death for the benefit of all condemned sinners. It is the unconditional nature of the lover to surrender the best in life to overcome the worst in death. It is the promise of hope and renewal through the resurrection from death to life.
Could the true picture of God’s love become any clearer? We humans have a lot to learn about the true meaning of love, don't you think?
God has been more than willing to show us, time and again.
The Gadfly
(copyright 2008, Gregory Allen Doyle)
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