Daily Wisdom 06-16-2001 Love Defined

A friend of mine recently asked me to define love. I paused for a while, and in my head, I summoned all the kinds of love that I could remember. Despite the apparent simplicity of this question, I could not respond to the question spontaneously.Look at the love a mother feels for her child or the love between lovers or among siblings, the list is long. The context for each of these "loves" may be different, but what is it that ties them together? What is their common denominator?

What is it that would make a mother deny herself for the sake of her child or even die in its stead? We would quickly answer that it is because of love. Do you remember the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet? Why did they take their lives? Was it not but for love's sake? I recently read a story about two sisters who drowned as one attempted to save the other. Was this love? Of course.In each of these instances, we notice a basic ingredient:

sacrifice, self-denial. For the sake of the loved one, the lover will be willing to give up what they otherwise would not.

God looked down and saw a corrupt, wretched world, hopeless and deceived. Logically, it would have been easier to clean house and start afresh, but love constrained Him. To bring this closer to home, think of a parent who decides to kill the wayward child as a solution to the problem. This is unimaginable!

A just and righteous God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God gave His best because He loved us. Again He asks, "Can a nursing mother forget her child? Yet, even though she does, I will not." God talks of wooing us as a man would a woman. The men who are reading this do understand the amount of time and delicate skill that is required to woo a reluctant woman that he loves. You would go to great lengths to prove your love.

For those of us who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, the nail scars on His hands and feet are a testimony of His love for you. You cannot afford to turn your back on Him.

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