More Than A Feeling

The great story of all of history is that of a loving God that loves a people that don’t always love Him in return. Yet, despite this adversity, the Lord continuously reaches out to His people. This is the mark of a loving person: one that never gives up. Or maybe: one that does whatever it takes. Or maybe: one that cares enough to correct. God, who is love, loves us enough to overcome our shortcomings and failures. Our sin, that very thing which we might think to be too great for forgiveness, is overcome by the loving mercy of our God. In His love, He never gives up, does whatever it takes, and cares enough to correct.

In the beginning, we were with the Lord but through our own selfish desires we failed. We fail and fail again. We find sin attractive. We find it tempting. We see the allure of it. We see an appeal in it. And, because we are weak, we break the law of God. A loving creator-God who has given us the glory of His Word of Truth has revealed to us right and wrong, good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness. In His justice, He promises that evil will be forever destroyed. In His grace, He offers to make us holy. In His love, He has shown us compassion and direction but will we follow?

The challenge we have today is that what people say and do are different from one another. People say they love God but they deny Him by their actions (Titus 1:16). People say they love God, but they harbor bitterness towards others (1 John 4:20). People say they believe Jesus is Lord but it is mere lip-service (Mt 15:8). People say they are disciples but their lifestyle doesn’t resemble the life of Christ (1 John 3:18).

The challenge we have today is that people believe that love is a feeling and they think that belief is a thought. However, what the Lord desires is that you truly love Him. And when you love, you act. We would never look at a one-sided marriage and call that love. Marriage is a give and take, for better and worse. When we see one or the other spouse doing all the giving and the other doing all of the taking, we know without much thought required this marriage is falling apart.

Why is it different with our Lord? We are always ready to take, but are we giving? We are ready to receive, but what are we offering? We want, but are we wanting to give or only to get? Love isn’t just a feeling. Love is something we do and something we are.

The challenge we have today is that people live like love stops, rather than begins, at the heart. Paul had to confront the attitude in the early church. They seemed to think that one could believe one way and live another. In Romans 2 he writes, “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Rom 2:6-8).

God loves you despite your sin and offers you a way out of judgement: a life changed by Jesus Christ. Our challenge is to learn to love like Jesus loved: with action.