Love is a Verb...

We've gotten so lost in the word "love."  I mean, we can go from saying, "I love you" to our spouse/family to "I love Taco Bell" in the span of one conversation.  It's that common usage that drains the word of meaning.  Especially in Christian circles.  We talk and talk about love, particularly as it has to do with that crazy thing Jesus said- "Love others as you love yourself."  But does all of our talking ever change anything?

 Here's the skinny- words mean jack squat or amount to a hill of skuballa (see Philippians 3.8).  As I look at what's happening and coming out all over the place in our culture, Christians don't do what they say much less do what they claim to believe.  Just look at the "Preachers of L.A." series or the next new reality show "Thicker than Blood" that showcases Christians with large piles of cash and no grip on the actual teachings of Jesus.  The teachings of many prominent "Christian" leaders are all about me and what God will give me.  The idea that God wants to bless us isn't new (and is totally Scriptural), the question is how we interpret blessing!  God blessing us might not (read- PROBABLY not) mean money, big houses, and fast cars but instead look more like a non-blessing.  Our ideas of what we need are NOT His.  Our wants and desires are NOT His (unless we're lined up with His heart- Psalm 37.4).  Unless we recognize that and consciously work to become less and less so He can become more and more, we wind up with people bringing Christ shame and disgrace, not fame and renown for His glory.

 Our abuse of love is like that.  We say we love people.  We say we love God.  Where's the evidence (and I so had to fight the urge to type "beef" instead of evidence)?  What world changing thing has come about because of our love?  Jesus said "the world would know we were His by our love."  Can they see it?  Are we living it?  Eugene Peterson grabs a hold of this concept and renders it in a way that captures much of what we actually do (James 2.14-17):
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
 I don't think much more needs to be said.  You've got a choice- live it or toss it and move on because there's no time to waste.  The Kingdom of God is about action from the power of the Spirit, not words.  Love means doing.  Love means sacrifice.  Love means living it in our own backyard, not just in some other city.  So, embrace the action that is love and go be Jesus as the world around us needs to see it now more than ever, because they see a lot of the other...

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