A group of social scientists asked
some children the question, “What does love mean?” Here are some of the answers: When my grandmother got arthritis, she
couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the
time, even when his hands got arthritis too…love is what makes you smile when
you are tired…love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are
still friends even after they know each other so well. And here is my favorite: When they crucified Jesus, God could have
sold magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn’t. That’s love.
Of course, we know this to be
true. God could have stepped in at any
point and spared His Son the unbearable pain and torturous death that had been
planned. Even Jesus said to the Temple
Guard: “Do you not think that I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once
put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? But how then would the
Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew
26:53-54)
So for God the Father, love means
giving up Your only-begotten Son to be Savior of the world. The apostle Paul put it like this: “But God
demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
You’ve heard it said, “Talk is
cheap.” Sometimes it is. People pledge to make changes in their lives
but soon fall back into old habits. Others
make promises that are quickly forgotten.
Talk means nothing unless backed up with action.
God's love IS love in action! We see
love in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prays, “Thy will be done.” We see love in action at Calvary as Jesus
cries out, “It is finished!” We see love at Bethany as Jesus blesses His
disciples and then tells them to “Go!” Jesus counts us as His friends, not His
enemies, and He gives us the great opportunity of working in partnership with
Him in sharing His Word of love and grace with the whole world.
Sacrificing your life for
others…giving up you life so that others might live…giving the very best you
have to offer. That sounds like love,
doesn’t it? That’s the meaning of love according to the One who loves you best
– your gracious and loving Savior.
Rejoice!
