Greetings in Christ,
In the English language we have many ways of describing the composition of a sentence. We have nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, predicate, direct and indirect subjects just to name of few portions which make up a sentence. If you are good at English, you can define all the portions of a sentence and label the appropriate sections of the sentence. This is not an English lesson, but rather just a way to lead into the subject of the devotional.
Love is a verb. Many want to put it into the category of being a noun, but the true meaning of love is always in a verb state. A verb is the action portion of the sentence, and love is a verb since it is an action and not a subject. True love is always in motion and always doing things for people which receive the benefits of the action of love. True love is proactive and not reactive. Many want to put love as reactive which creates the confusion of it being a noun. Many people think love is something which depends on the surroundings, mood, or situation before it becomes love, but true love does not let things or situations determine how it acts. True love is unconditional. This Sunday’s scripture lends to both sides of love being displayed in the readings.
The noun application is being applied in 2 Kings. King Hoshea has become king and he has done many bad things. He has sided with the king of Assyria and is willing to adapt to their customs of worship of idols. The king of Assyria does not trust Hoshea and overtakes Israel and disperses the people into other areas. The people of Israel are not innocent. They have gone along with the idol worship and have built many altars to the idols they worshipped. They have become self-serving and are only concerned with their own desires and had not thought about what kind of impact it would have on future generations. They have turned love into a noun, for they felt it depended on their surroundings to find love. They were reacting to stimuli which they felt would bring them love.
The verb side is applied in Acts and Luke. Acts describes a woman called Dorcas who was a very giving woman. She made clothing for people and gave it to those who needed something to wear. She was well liked by all the people, but then she suddenly died. The people mourned her death, but they knew Peter was close by in another city, and they called for him to respond to her death. Peter arrived and prayed for Dorcas, and his prayers were answered. Dorcas was brought back to life, and Peter presented her to the people alive and well.
Dorcas was a good example of love in action. She gave from her heart to those who were in need. It did not matter to her what the surroundings were like for her to love other people. She inspired many people to do the right thing by showing love in action serving others. With Dorcas being raised from the dead and her actions many people came to know Jesus. Dorcas was being proactive in her approach to love because it flowed from within her.
Luke depicts the picture of Jesus teaching and preaching to the crowds. He is the beginning stage of His ministry on earth, and He is looking for His twelve companions as He embarks on His ministry journey. Jesus is being pressed on by the crowds and He is looking for some room and finds two boats which belong to his future disciples. He steps into one of the boats which belongs to Simon and finishes His teaching. He calls for Simon to cast out his nets into the water. Simon hesitates, but he casts out his nets only to find more fish than he can handle, and his nets are breaking. He calls for help and his partners arrive to help bring in the catch. Simon realizes he is not worthy to be near Jesus and asks Him to depart from him. Jesus responds to Simon stating he will be catching men from now on and to follow Him.
Jesus is reaching out the men who were considered lowly men in the area. Men who were not worthy to associate with the likes of Jesus, but Jesus reached out to them from within His heart and His willingness to make them disciples. Jesus was showing them compassion and making them feel like they had some value in this world. Jesus was putting love into action as He was willing to accept them for who they were, and He was willing to make them His disciples. Jesus was being proactive by accepting men who considered to be unworthy.
Many people get caught up in the wrong definition of love. We see love being displayed as an object or feeling which is obtained by a means, surroundings, or circumstances. When we look at love as an object or feeling it is illusive and it will never be attained no matter how people think it should arrive or be sought. True love can only come from within a person which does not depend on outside influences to exist.
Love is action that flows from within a person. It is always on the move, genuine, non-stop, serving, helping, giving, unselfish, unconditional, not looking for something in return, generated from the idea of compassion for others. Love is proactive not looking for something which brings a warm fuzzy feeling and having to be stimulated from outside sources to be genuine. It is action on the part of the one who wants to show love in its true meaning. It flows from the inner spirit of a person, and it becomes more effective when it has the Spirit of God living within them as well.
True love is the willingness to be a servant desiring to serve others by being the example for them to follow. True love is an action verb and not a noun.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolation in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah” Psalm 46
Lord may we be willing to be an example of true love by serving others. Amen
Blessings,