What is the definition of love? It’s a question that seems all too simplistic until actually addressed with the intent of creating an explanation. Most commonly love is connected with relationships, and in those scenarios it is often confused with lust, infatuation, and a simple middle school crush. How do we set it straight? How do we love someone without having it be confused with those things?
It is quite simple really: our actions show our love. To put it in a blunt way, our actions define love. If we act as a certain way, condemning those who do wrong, how much better are we from that person? Our response is so simple that it is one of the most basic of human skills. We need to react with love.
A very easy way to do this is to avoid judgment, and to build people up instead! Show them love, embrace them as a person or aid them where they need help, and of course, forgive!
We should be helping people through hard times with our love. So the challenge is quite simple: be more than just a light in this world, instead, BE love to the world.
I'm not sure we should embrace sin. We should, however, embrace the unconditional forgiveness found in Christ, a forgiveness which is based on love.
ReplyDeleteLets put it this way; if a man raped my wife, I would forgive him, but if I have my way, he's going to jail for a long long time. Because of God's love in my life, I can forgive him, but I'm not going to be his pal.
Iain, that is completely correct. But the line following the line about embrace also offers an alternative. It says: "or aid them where they need help, and of course, forgive!"
ReplyDeleteBut if you were writing that comment out of support and simply solidifying a point, then I really appreciate it.
No, I think it's good. I just think that it's not as simplistic as you make it out to be. While agape love does include acceptance and forgiveness, it also includes correction (look at the example of Jesus; he got darn angry with a lot of people that he loved).
ReplyDeleteThat's all. It's a good thought, totally.