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Newsletter |
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I LOVE YOU One of the best known days in February is Valentine’s Day, even in a Leap year! Some people are tempted to call February 14 “Hallmark Holiday.” Little wonder because in our country over 7 billion valentine cards are purchased yearly. Most of these cards say “I love you” in one way or another. But what does “I love you” mean? |
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http://OlneyGoodShepherd.org/pdfs/2011_00_The_Messenger.pdf
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Some would say it refers to being attracted to someone. While it is true that attractiveness can draw people together, we need to remember that physical attractiveness changes over time. Yes, it is an important kind of love, but it does not have the same sustaining love as other forms of love. Others would say that “I love you” means you are my friend. Good friends are true blessings in this life as we find things that we enjoy doing with certain people we like and with whom we have so much in common. A friendship kind of love is very special but, sadly, we know from experience that friends come and go. There is a deeper understanding of what it means to say “I love you.” The word that comes to mind for many Christians is “agape” which we call God’s kind of love. It is unconditional grace and keeps reaching out to other people even when they may not understand or return this kind of love. That is certainly true of God’s love for us sinners. Even when we say and do sinful things, God’s serving and giving love reaches out to us. As the Bible teaches, “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Jesus himself said, “Greater love has no one than that he lay down his life for his friends.” I Corinthians 13 describes agape love in this way, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.” The Apostle John writes, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!” Good and godly children imitate the positive characteristics of their good and godly parents. As children of Christ, we imitate the love of our Father in heaven. “We love because He first loved us.” Our Lord delights in loving by giving and serving our daily needs. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are God’s children. There is no better witness to what it means to be a child of God than for us to use all of life and life’s resources in a way that brings glory to God and blessings to those whose lives we touch. May our “I love you” always be Jesus’ kind of love, a serving and giving love. In His Service, Pastor Pat |
