Winning Wisdom — Love; What It Is

Topic: Love; What It Is. [Sunday, 20th August 2017]

Ese Ehimare Dave

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

I would love to describe love as commitment to the progressive success of someone irrespective of actions that might be inimical to its expression. Love is commitment and nothing more. It is not a feeling, for feeling changes with time and it is based on the reciprocal gestures or actions. Love is not attraction, for the object of attraction or what attracts might not be there forever. Love is commitment, no matter the feedback gotten, whether it encourages love or not. This is the kind of love that the Lord have for us. And it is what we should exhibit.

At all the different levels love is expressed, whether agape (God's love), philio (friend's love) or eros (romantic love), love must be expressed in committed actions. Scriptures says, in Romans 5:8: "but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This is the operation of love, and it is not restricted to agape love. If two friends are committed to themselves, they will, irrespective of their differences, stick together. They will always look beyond their differences and find a common ground at all times. But when commitment is lacking, don't be too surprised that very soon, after tolerating themselves for awhile, they go their separate ways.

Don't be too surprised at divorces in marriages. It's not far fetched. It is not about the profession of love for themselves by words of mouth that will keep them married, but commitment to themselves, commitment to a course, commitment to purpose that they have come together to fulfil. When this commitment is lacking, the ephemeral feeling of affection can only last for so long. Scriptures advocates that we should "love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18). Our deeds - actions - will either show whether we are committed to love, or not. Love is commitment and will only thrive on commitment and nothing else.

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thanks for Your unwavering commitment towards me irrespective of my short-comings. Thanks for looking beyond my many faults to love me and be committed to my progressive success. Help me, by the working of Your Spirit to exhibit this same kind of commitment to all, in Jesus' Name. Amen.