Verse of the Week:
Ephesians 5:2 ...Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.Cupid, God's Superhero?
If you could have any super powers, what would you pick? I was once asked this random question, during a game when Brian and I were trying to get to know other couples. I was hearing all sorts of answers: to be invisible, to be able to fly, to move around at the speed of light. When I got to share my answer, it sounded a little unorthodox, but that is just how my brain works; I come up with the weirdest things. I wanted to be like Cupid and zap love into people's lives with my bow and arrow. I would flutter around in my cute wings and whenever I saw any type of hate in people then ZING...POP! My arrow would hit them and they would become all lovey, dovey, sweet, and cuddly with hearts popping out above them and little stars shining in their eyes. Lets face it, I am a romantic at heart...I love hearing love stories about people and how they fall in love. I love reading romance novels and seeing a couple come together against all odds because of their deep love, or a knight in shining armor coming to rescue his princess out of love. My favorite movies are Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea, and Queen Victoria. I sigh in contentment as I see the couple move in together for that sweet kiss or hear the man confess his undying love. Yep...I am a hopeless... I love LOVE! :)
Here is the problem....people in the world perceive love no more than as a deep affection towards someone, as a feeling, but love is so much more than just a feeling of attraction towards someone. Although it is nice to feel attracted to my incredibly cute husband, it would have never have been enough to keep our marriage together. Eventually he will have wrinkles around his face, bags under is eyes, white hair poking out of his head (that is if he doesn't go bald first!), a lump will form on his belly making me wonder if he is pregnant, and his rock solid muscles will be replaced with jello-like looking flab hanging off of his bones. Poor guy...He sounds like a nightmare! Nope, attraction is not a good foundation for marriage.
You see, love is an incredibly complex word with way deeper meanings than a person realizes. One of my favorite romance authors, Micheal Phillips described love as this:
Lets turn back to cupid for a minute. Suppose Cupid shot arrows that hit people and filled them with CHRIST'S LOVE. What would that kind of love look like?
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| Brian in 50 years.....AHHHH!!!! |
You see, love is an incredibly complex word with way deeper meanings than a person realizes. One of my favorite romance authors, Micheal Phillips described love as this:
True love is deeper than mere emotions. True love never fades, it matures. All through the New Testament, love as Jesus describes it has to do with actions, attitudes, behavior, and commitment, not any particular feeling of giddiness.
Lets turn back to cupid for a minute. Suppose Cupid shot arrows that hit people and filled them with CHRIST'S LOVE. What would that kind of love look like?
Describing Christ's love is incredibly hard to describe. It is extremely complex....but the more I thought about it the more I saw one thing consistent whenever I looked into how Jesus loves. Jesus's love is always selfless. There is no room for self when loving with Christ's love. Christ's love is ALWAYS in the best interest of others. I Corinthians 10:24 says, Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Look at how Jesus loved and noticed that there is no selfishness involved.
WOW!!! His love is so selfless! I made a list of things that I thought described Christ-like love, and here is what I came up with.
Think about how the world would be different if Cupid shot his Christ-like love arrows at everyone. You would find the worst of enemies forgiving each other. You wouldn't find any room for revenge in peoples hearts. People would not be jealous of others but instead rejoice with them in their good fortunes. People would be building each other up instead of putting each other down. There would be no gossip and slander but people seeking to look for good in others. People would be giving to the poor, open their homes to orphans and widows. People would not get angry because they didn't get what they wanted. People would not hold grudges. People would be patient with others. People would seek to find ways to be a blessing to others. People would demonstrate unconditional love and love no matter how vile and horrible a person may be. People would pray for others. People would be truthful and have integrity. People would be open to correction and be humble. People would put the needs of others before their own. What a different world it would be!
If everyone truly loved with Christ's love, there would be no more sin in the world! As it says in 1 Peter 4:8, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Here is the amazing thing. When we accept Christ into our hearts, His spirit comes to live inside of us. So technically his love is inside of us too! When we realize how loving Christ truly is, we can't help but love how He loves. Jesus loves us fully and unconditionally. Think of it this way...my husband showers me with love all the time that I can't help but want to love him in return. It is the same way with our Savior. He has done so much for us, that we can't help but want to love others with His love. We begin to see others through His eyes and realize how much He loves even the worse of the worse, we want to love the same way.
Oh Lord, may our hearts cry be to love with the love you have inside of us! May your voice be louder than the voice of our flesh/minds when it comes to responding to situations with your love. May we view circumstances through your eyes of love. In you name we pray,
Amen!
Ephesians 5:2 says, ...Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Yep, Cupid would be God's superhero if He ever needed one, but Jesus is greater than cupid, and His name means, LOVE!
- He came into this world lower than angels and made himself a man to save us.
- He healed the sick.
- He loved the sinners no matter what they had done.
- He created this beautiful world for us to enjoy.
- He died on the cross for our sins.
- He washed his disciples feet as an act of service.
- He asked God to forgive the ones who killed him.
- He made sure his mother was taken care of while dying on the cross.
- He taught us about love and life.
- He served others.
- He prayed for me and everyone in the garden before he was crucified.
- He promised to send his spirit to take care of me/others.
- He heals hearts.
- He promises to be with us always.
- He turned the other cheek.
- He never sought revenge.
- He has prepared a place for me in heaven.
- He wanted to bring His Father glory.
- He has taught us how to live life abundantly.
- He never rejects those who come to him.
WOW!!! His love is so selfless! I made a list of things that I thought described Christ-like love, and here is what I came up with.
Think about how the world would be different if Cupid shot his Christ-like love arrows at everyone. You would find the worst of enemies forgiving each other. You wouldn't find any room for revenge in peoples hearts. People would not be jealous of others but instead rejoice with them in their good fortunes. People would be building each other up instead of putting each other down. There would be no gossip and slander but people seeking to look for good in others. People would be giving to the poor, open their homes to orphans and widows. People would not get angry because they didn't get what they wanted. People would not hold grudges. People would be patient with others. People would seek to find ways to be a blessing to others. People would demonstrate unconditional love and love no matter how vile and horrible a person may be. People would pray for others. People would be truthful and have integrity. People would be open to correction and be humble. People would put the needs of others before their own. What a different world it would be!
If everyone truly loved with Christ's love, there would be no more sin in the world! As it says in 1 Peter 4:8, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Here is the amazing thing. When we accept Christ into our hearts, His spirit comes to live inside of us. So technically his love is inside of us too! When we realize how loving Christ truly is, we can't help but love how He loves. Jesus loves us fully and unconditionally. Think of it this way...my husband showers me with love all the time that I can't help but want to love him in return. It is the same way with our Savior. He has done so much for us, that we can't help but want to love others with His love. We begin to see others through His eyes and realize how much He loves even the worse of the worse, we want to love the same way.
Oh Lord, may our hearts cry be to love with the love you have inside of us! May your voice be louder than the voice of our flesh/minds when it comes to responding to situations with your love. May we view circumstances through your eyes of love. In you name we pray,
Amen!
Ephesians 5:2 says, ...Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Yep, Cupid would be God's superhero if He ever needed one, but Jesus is greater than cupid, and His name means, LOVE!
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