LOVE
What can we say about love that hasn’t already been said in countless songs and poems!? Love is often described as a feeling or an emotion, but anyone who has experienced the death of those feelings in heartbreak knows that love is so much more. Love is a choice. Love is a practice.
Arguably the most famous verse in all of the Scriptures claims that God loved the world in this way...he became one of us(John 3:16 - heavily paraphrased). In a beautiful act of humility, the divine creator of all things bound himself to his creation by partnering with a young woman of faith to bring the very embodiment of love into the world. This should remind us that love may not be always be found in those that we may benefit from the most, but in those who seemingly have the least to give to us in return.
Love is beautiful, confusing, messy, complex, mysterious, and sometimes frustrating. Jesus claims that love for our enemies is one of the highest marks of those devoted to his kingdom. Love reaches across divides to bear witness to the possibility of restoration and redemption.
We encourage you to ponder the following questions this week alone, in a group, or around the dinner table:
Here's a simple prayer for this week as we contemplate love together:
Father, you are good and we know that you love us. Please help us to see the world as it should be.
Jesus, you are God with us, the very embodiment of love. Please help us to see others as you see them.
Holy Spirit, we know that you are also an outpouring of love creating and shaping how we experience, choose, and express love to others. Please help us to trust in you and to do what you say.
Arguably the most famous verse in all of the Scriptures claims that God loved the world in this way...he became one of us(John 3:16 - heavily paraphrased). In a beautiful act of humility, the divine creator of all things bound himself to his creation by partnering with a young woman of faith to bring the very embodiment of love into the world. This should remind us that love may not be always be found in those that we may benefit from the most, but in those who seemingly have the least to give to us in return.
Love is beautiful, confusing, messy, complex, mysterious, and sometimes frustrating. Jesus claims that love for our enemies is one of the highest marks of those devoted to his kingdom. Love reaches across divides to bear witness to the possibility of restoration and redemption.
We encourage you to ponder the following questions this week alone, in a group, or around the dinner table:
- Where am I looking for love?
- Who am I actively choosing not to love?
- How might I begin to articulate the myriad ways in which I've experienced love?
- How might I begin to help others experience love?
Here's a simple prayer for this week as we contemplate love together:
Father, you are good and we know that you love us. Please help us to see the world as it should be.
Jesus, you are God with us, the very embodiment of love. Please help us to see others as you see them.
Holy Spirit, we know that you are also an outpouring of love creating and shaping how we experience, choose, and express love to others. Please help us to trust in you and to do what you say.