May the mumbling commence!
If we allow the Word of Christ to saturate our lives, it would be difficult to miss the essential nature of love. It would also be difficult – near impossible – to overstate the importance of love. Love is the positive of way of fulfilling all the commandments of God – which by a majority are negative in manner. Read a passage from Romans chapter thirteen:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Verses 8-10)
With love, there are no credit cards. Indeed, there is no credit at all. Love is based on the currency of time and service of care and work. Love is a debt never fully paid. We may be able to celebrate the payoff of our educations (Some day, please!) our vehicles, our homes. But we can never celebrate the payoff of our love to God and to other people.
And love is the currency that fulfills the Law. Love is obedience to the Lord God. It is the only way to please our Creator. And we must choose to love. Love cannot be forced or bribed.
In this brief passage, we learn about what love is not. That is one way to learn about something. Love allows no space for infidelity. Love is not murderous. Love does not take without permission. Love does not look wistfully across the fence at the greener grass on the other side. Love does no harm to its neighbor.
What else can we say is not included in a godly love? Read Paul’s last exhortation to the Romans from chapter sixteen:
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Verses 17-20)
Love is not divisive. Love does not exist for its own appetite. Love does not use smooth talk or flattery to get what it wants. There is no lie, no deception, in love. Purge these things from your repertoire.
Love is obedience to the God of peace. Love is serving Christ Jesus. Love is wisdom about what is good and innocence about what is evil. Love is faithfulness to God. Love is comforting in its strength of grace.
Let’s pay our debt of love to God and to all creation this day. We pay our debt with time and service in faithfulness to our Lord Christ Jesus. Tomorrow, let’s do it again! Repeat!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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