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"Where there is love there is life" - Mahatma Gandhi

Live a life of love. Ephesians 5:2

In the Bible, depending on what translation you refer to, the word love is used up to 538 times. Today, I am looking at the Greek word agape or spiritual love, which is translated as unconditional, divine and selfless.

For the Christian, the word love can only be defined by the nature of God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8


Notice that the Bible never directly tells us to love ourselves because it’s unnecessary. By nature we take care of our own needs. We do so to the extent of putting ourselves and our welfare, needs, desires, and ambitions first, before God and before others. So it is that Paul admonishes us to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Philippians 2:3


In Matthew 22:34-40 we read the story of a Pharisee lawyer asking Jesus which is the greatest commandment. His answer was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Jesus was quoting scripture found in Deuteronomy 6:5). “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (found in Leviticus 19:18).


Then he said to the Pharisee in Matthew 22:40, “On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.” In other words, if a person understood and obeyed these two commandments, he would understand and fulfill what the whole Old Testament was trying to teach. Everything in the Old Testament, when properly understood, aims basically to transform men and women into people who fervently love God and their neighbour.


God does not merely love; He is love. Everything that God does flows from his love. Once we have received God's love as His children, He expects us to love others.
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
John 15:12

To depend on our own resources to show love to someone who is little known to us or a complete stranger is a huge challenge. We fear rejection, misunderstanding or disrespect. But God says:
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the sinners do the same? Matthew 5:46

We fear we might be hurt or upset. C.S. Lewis wrote in The Four Loves, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.”

We fear our efforts will be fruitless and unrewarding. But God says:
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:43-44

We fear being taken advantage of. But God says:
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Romans 15: 1-2

Given all these possible negatives, how can we show love to people we don’t know? How can we overcome our innate self-centeredness.
WE cannot do it of ourselves. Only God can give us the strength and sensitivity to fulfill His commandment. Only God can speak to us in His still small voice and nudge us toward someone in need. Only God can give us a new perspective that looks away from ourselves and outward to others. When we ask Him to be our guide and helper, we ask to be led into situations we might not necessarily choose for ourselves. As we increase our love for the Lord by spending daily time with Him in prayer and worship and in studying His Word we deepen our relationship with Him so that we can…
…Be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you. (Ephesians 5:1-2a)

Drawing closer to our heavenly Father, filling our minds with knowledge of Him, meditating on all His gifts to us, opening our hearts to hear His voice – regularly doing these things leads to being filled with God’s “agape” love – unconditional, divine and selfless. This kind of love cannot help but overflow and our actions will demonstrate its presence in our lives. Love for our neighbour is "love in action", doing something specific and tangible for others.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12

Friends, continue to ponder these truths as you listen to one or both of the following selections.

Try this contemporary song “Neighbour” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdgnlJNC2tE

Or this more traditional song
“When I Needed a Neighbour, Were You There? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym8yOdCFGPc