Love, From Mom

Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day I thought it appropriate to do Mom's entry on Love, which coincidentally was the next one in her journal. 

The Bible speaks of three different types of love.

Agape love.  Romans 5:5  And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.  

Agape love always seeks the highest good of the other person no matter what they do.  It is a self-giving love that gives freely without asking for anything in return.  It is love by choice, an act of the will.  This is God's unconditional love for the world.

Phileo love.  John 21:15  After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"

This type of love means to be fond of, care for affectionately, cherish, take pleasure in, have a personal attachment for.  Love by chance or emotions.

Psalm 97:10  You who love the Lord, hate evil!  He protects the lives of His godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.  

Ahab love.  To have affection for someone, to like, to be a friend, romantic love, love of ideals, love of pleasures. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever--faith, hope and love--and the greatest of these is love.  

Now, I have now idea where my Mom got the following, but I love the symbolism.

Winds of love.  Let the winds which are controlled by God remind us that no matter which way the blow, God is in every situation in our lives, in our ups and downs.

North wind - is a cold wind and where trials and testing sweeps down on us.  Remember, God is love.  Romans 8:28  And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

South wind - is soothing and balmy breezes, brings showers of blessings.  Remember, God is love.  James 1:17  Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

East wind - threatens to sweep away all we have.  Remember, God is love.  Philippians 4:19  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

West wind - blows hard and is punishing on us.  Remember, God is love.  Hebrews 12:6  For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.

God's greatest gift to us is His love. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13  If  I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.  Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand it's own way.  It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless.  But love will last forever!  Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!  But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.  When I was a child I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.  But when I grep up, I put away childish things.  No we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  Three things will last forever--faith, hope and love--and the greatest of these is love.  

We pray to comprehend the love of Jesus.  Ephesians 3:14-19  When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heave and on earth.  I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.  Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  

Pray for the fullness of God, Jesus' love and be confident in this prayer knowing the Holy Spirit lives in us.   Ephesians 3:20  Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 

To have freedom, love others as Jesus does, see them through the eyes of Jesus.  Each person set before me is a challenge.  Do I want to be lacking in this one thing?  NO!  Let me possess wholehearted allegiance to God.   Search myself, is there something in me I am making an idol of?  Something that prevents me from loving?  Exodus 20:3  You must not have any other god but me.

From me. 

Love starts with God.  He loved us first.  We love Him and because we love Him we are to love others.  And that's sometimes hard as all of us as people can be pretty unlovable sometimes!  But if we want to be like  our heavenly Father, we must choose to love.  You can spend a lifetime studying the love of God. I think we cannot fully get loving others until we first accept and believe the love God has for us.  And we need only to look to the Cross to see that love.  Love is an action, not just a feeling.  There is so much to learn about God's love!  I heard recently that in the mornings we should celebrate God's love, speak of His love and before bed we should thank Him for His faithfulness.  What a great habit to develop! 

My prayer echoes Paul's in Ephesians...that you all would know the love of Christ in all it's fullness.  I pray that all of our hearts would be open to receive this wonderful, all consuming, unconditional, eternal love that our Father has for us.  Help us to believe it Lord, that we may share it with others.  My prayer this morning, is that everything I do will be a reflection of Your love.  Lord, let my words, be seasoned by love, my actions be directed by love....Lord, help us to love You with all of our hearts, minds, and strength.  Thank You for Your great love. 

Start a study on love this year!