If we can somehow grasp the truth that God is love, then it makes sense that we would strive to be full of love ourselves. I mean really, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all filled with love?
The Ancient Greeks had four distinct words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. In his book The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis points to agape as the greatest of the four loves. He describes it as the unconditional “God” love. The word love appears in the ESV Bible 551 times. Just simply pondering that fact brings verse after verse cascading through the recesses of my mind. One that quickly rises to the top is found in 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT, “Three things will last forever — faith, hope and love — and the greater of these is love.”
Maybe the Beatles inadvertently approached a profound truth when they wrote the hit song “All You Need is Love”. Through the lens of my Christian perspective, however, the title should be replaced with “All You Need is God”. Look at this truth. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). You see, God created us and initiated this incredible love affair with us. I think John the Baptist brings a right response to God in this verse. “He must become greater, I must become less.” (John 3:30). Okay, now let’s all sing the newly titled song together — “All You Need is God!”
When the Apostle Paul describes how God treats us (known as body of Christ), it’s what I think the world needs right now. It says in Ephesians 4:16, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does it’s own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing full of love.” The whole world needs to know God so that that we might become healthy and grow full of love!
Can I hear an AMEN?!
Mac
Posted in A Word from the Pastor