Wednesday, April 29

Is there a measurement of love? You know a scale or a guide to measure against. Something to measure the length and the depth? Most people just figure love is love. They figure love is an emotion. Well maybe, or maybe that's just a half truth or a quarter truth (if we are measuring tongue emoticon ). Think of it this way, whether you want to call it an emotion or what, your love for friends is different than your love for a spouse. A dog receives a different measurement of love than your child does.
Is there a measurement of Gods Love? Can it be measured?
Ephesians 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Yes Love has a measurement. If I were poor and poorly clothed and I asked you to give me a jacket, would your love be measured by your response? Yes it would. If you just told me to be blessed, be warmed and go in the blessing of Christ without giving me the warmth of a jacket, where is the Love? I know we can't give to everyone realistically but the point I'm trying to make is the that our love is measured upon our actions.
I was studying (drinking coffee) and waiting for a friend to show up at Starbucks earlier. I read 2 Corinthians 8:8 which reads, "I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others." The Greek meaning of sincerity in this verse means 'legitimate'. The measurement Paul was using was a black and white scale that said either its love or it isn't love. its either legitimate or is illegitimate . I'd go so far to say that inner love that never comes out is more empathy than love. Yes you have the strong feeling of this and that toward someone or something but love is having both the inner and the outward: the action following the inner.
After meditating on this scripture my buddy shows up and begins to talk about a friend of his in Dallas Texas. This friend loves God and used to be a stand up church goer. Then a tragic moment happened
in his marriage that caused divorce. He went through so much, and nobody from the Church reached out to him. After a while his heart grew cold for his Church and the members that he thought he knew so well. He hasn't been to Church since. This made me think hard about this verse while my friend was mentioning all this. You see I'm sure they loved him (without action). They most likely empathized with his suffering but nobody pasted the test of the 'sincerity of love by the diligence of others' in which Paul spoke of. For God to just tell us He loves us is much different then Him showing us He loves us.
John 15:13 (NKJ) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Continuously throughout the entire bible God backs up His love with many actions. Yes I agree, love can be in your heart, but I disagree with love never coming out of your heart. If you truly love, according to Paul's measurement, then it will come out. Sometimes there is true love but we miss the opportunity to pass the test by standing by and missing the mark. Lets love one another in deed and not just words. That man my friend spoke of, things may be different if he just had a weekly phone call. Just one call a week. God bless and I hope this inspires you to not miss the opportunity to prove the sincerity of your love this week!
~Rich Cohrs

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