What Does Your Love Life Look Like?

We have all these views about what love is and what it’s not.  For some, it’s agreeing with whatever they say.  For some, it’s doing whatever they want.  Usually, it’s about what “I” can get out of someone or what they can give “me”.  

But real love, true love is all about what “I” give.  Love is all about the actions I take, even when I don’t feel like it (1 Cor 13).  I recently listened to a video about Love and Truth potentially being in conflict as I was assisting in a middle school ministry class.  I learned a lot from that video.  The narrator explained that Real Love is treating people the way God treats us through Jesus – better than we deserve and always for our good (Rom 8:28).  That is what God has called us to do when He says to love our neighbors as ourselves.  

I don’t know about you, I find I fall short on that. I know I love Jesus and I say I love people, but I don’t know that I always treat people better than they deserve and always for their good.  To be frank, I can be selfish and forget sometimes that things are not all about me.  I don’t do it often (I try to stay in God’s word which keeps me humble), but sometimes I get a little too full of myself and forget that I’m not all that.  

Yes, God loves me….way more than I deserve.  Yes, He provides for me….way more than I need.  He is always good to me, even when I’m on punishment (Heb 12:6-8).   Even that is because He loves me and wants me to grow and mature.  That is what real love looks like…..putting in the work and the time.  

When I think of how Jesus loved when he walked the earth – He spent time alone time with God and then He spent time pouring out to people, whether teaching, healing, feeding, or whatever else.  He was always giving of Himself to make someone else’s life better.  He also allowed people to minister to Him – He received from them.  We are blessed in our giving and our loving.  The two great commandments are loving God with all of your heart, soul and mind; and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:36-40).  Are you showing the love of Christ to others?  How?  If Jesus were to return in the next instant, would He be pleased with how you are obeying this directive?  How is your love life?