The Way DAY 28 - What is Love?

DAY 28 - What is Love?

Luke 6:32-36
 
What is love?

It’s popular to say, “Love is love,” but that’s a bit of a word game. It covers up the fact that our English word, “love,” describes some very different things. C.S. Lewis took a crack at elaborating on love in his book, The Four Loves.

First, there’s affection love, like you and your pet have. There’s friendship love. Speaks for itself. There’s erotic love, the love that’s so attracted to something that it wants nothing else than to be with it. Sex is often connected to erotic love. Then there’s agape love. Agape love is selfless love that wants nothing more than the highest good for someone else. Agape is something we do for someone. It’s absolutely not about having warm fuzzy feelings for someone.

Agape love is what Jesus says we should show people. It means being with and for: WITH someone, FOR their good. You come alongside someone and seek what’s best for them. You don’t have to like them. You don’t have to have warm fuzzies about them.

The love Jesus tells us to do is excessive generosity without asking, “What’s in it for me?” - even for ungrateful, undeserving people. Why? V. 35, “Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

If you’re excessively generous with everyone, you’ll step into a more rewarding life than you can imagine. And you’ll prove your connection to God more than all the Bible studies and bumper stickers ever can. In other words, you’ll step into a life of true happiness and real success. A life built on solid rock that can withstand anything.

REFLECT
What does it mean to love your enemies? How does Jesus define love in this context?

PRAY
Jesus, you love me more than I deserve. Thank you! Teach me to love like you love me. Amen.