James and Bridget were approaching their four year marriage anniversary when Bridget suddenly filed for a divorce. Things had become rocky within the first year of marriage and neither one did much to help the situation.
Shortly before filing for a divorce, one of Bridget’s friends tried to convince her to stay in the marriage and work things out.
“I just can’t do this anymore.” Bridget said with a stern face. “And honestly, I don’t really love James anymore. The love we had when we got married dissolved a long time ago.”
Jessica was a recent high school graduate and was trying her hardest to get out of her hometown.
“I want to get away from here. I’m sick of this town.” she told one of her friends over coffee one morning.
“Why are you so anxious to get away?” her friend asked confused.
“Honestly,” Jessica said as a cloud of anger washed over her face, “my dad is the reason I want to get away. He’s been so consumed with work over the past four years that I’ve hardly seen him at all. I’m just so angry at him for blowing me off. I’ve lost all respect and love for him.”
Although Bridget and Jessica both faced really tough circumstances in their lives, their view of “love” was completely false.
For them, true love was based on what the other person gave to them. When the other person wasn’t meeting their expectations, they decided that love was gone.
As you probably know, we live in a culture where love is portrayed as a warm feeling, a romantic spark, and a happy circumstance. Once the happy feelings of “love” are gone, we’re taught to assume that love must be dead. Time to move on. Time to start over.
Sadly, this false view of love, as glamorous as it may seem, has driven thousands of marriages and relationships into the ground. Just look at Hollywood. It’s rare to find a long term committed marriage.
As Christian girls, if we want better results for our marriages and relationships, we have to learn how to truly love people.
We have to learn how to love people according to God’s definition of love. And if we do, our lives will be radically changed. God’s recipe for true love has the power to change lives, restore relationships and draw you closer to your family and friends.
God is so passionate about us understanding what true love is that He gave us an entire chapter of the Bible dedicated to the topic. Grab your Bible (or Bible app) and quickly read 1 Corinthians 13. It’ll only take you 2 minutes. I’ll wait till you’re done. *Background music plays*
Did you read it? Okay, what did you notice about it?
Did you notice how shockingly countercultural God’s definition of true love is?
Unlike Hollywood’s “feelings driven” version of love, God’s definition is driven by actions. It’s not based on what anybody else does or doesn’t do, it’s solely based on your own personal choices.
Let’s quickly break down that chapter and see what true love is, and what it isn’t. I’m pulling these lists from several different Bible translations.
According to 1 Corinthians 13, true love IS…
Patient
Kind
Rejoices in the truth
Bears all things
Believes all things
Hopes all things
Endures all things
Keeps no record of wrong
True love never fails
According to 1 Corinthians 13, true love ISN’T…
Envious
Jealous
Boastful
Arrogant
Dishonoring to others
Self-seeking
Easily angered
Delights in evil
According to those two lists, do you think Bridget and Jessica’s version of love looked more like list 1 or list 2?
Like we learned before, true Biblical love isn’t based on what the other person can do for you, but what you will choose to do for them.
Christ is the most incredible example of true love that the world has ever seen. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
While you and I were self-seeking, self-focused, self-pleasing, wretched sinners, Christ died for us. Wow. He chose to love us when we had nothing to offer Him.
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Self-sacrifice is the essence of true love.
The greatest act of love is giving up your most precious gift, your life, for the sake of someone else.
And Christ showed us that incredible kind of love.
Now, most of us probably won’t be called to sacrifice our body and life for someone else. However, we should be actively striving to lay down our life (our wants, desires, expectations, etc.) for the sake of others every day.
Putting others above ourselves and choosing to show love to them is exactly what Christ demonstrated through His death on the cross.
Imagine the impact that kind of love could have on Bridget and Jessica’s relationships.
Truly loving others isn’t easy, but it is worth it.
We can’t do it on our own though. We need the strength and power of Christ to enable us to demonstrate this kind of love.
I am striving to live out Christ’s definition of love everyday, and it’s hard. I’m not always that great at it, but with Christ’s strength, I know He will help me do it. I challenge you to do the same thing.
I also want to challenge you to read 1 Corinthians 13 every morning for the next 7 days. Ask God to change your heart, mind and actions to view love the way He does. Ask God to give you the strength to show true love to everyone you know.
Chat with me below!
- Where does your definition of love come from? Actually, let me put it this way: If I could secretly spy on your life for one week, which kind of love would I see you displaying to your family?
- Does your life display a “feelings based” version of love, or an “actions based” version of love.
- Are you withholding love from a family member or friend right now? If so, what steps do you need to take to show that person Christ-like love?
- Share with me one example of someone you know who is great at sacrificially loving others!
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