What's Love-Part 3

Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out this week's entry of The Mixblog...the best way to find out what's happening at The Mix (Whittington Church's high school youth ministry) outside of stopping by and hanging out with us. We are starting to wind down a teaching series that we have been calling "So What Exactly Is Love?" and this week's discussion focused on 'Sacrificial Love'. Sacrificial Love is a lost art in our day it seems. Unfortunately, most of the 'love' we know about is totally based on whether someone else deserves our 'love' or not and what we might get in return. News flash...THIS IS NOT SACRIFICIAL LOVE! So...

IF...

• Love is a choice


• Love is OUR choice


• Love is OUR choice regardless of what the object of that love does

THEN...

Love is going to involve sacrifice!

King David in the Old Testament seemed to understand sacrificial love a little bit. Check out this story from 2 Samuel 24:18-25. King David wasn't going to express his love to God unless it cost him something! Why? Why not just take the threshing floor and the ox and the wood for the fire for free and promise Araunah he'd remember him during tax season? Or just promise him a 1st class tour of the palace sometime? Why did David insist on paying for everything? Why did he want it cost him something? Maybe it was to prove to God he was serious but God knows the thoughts and intentions of a man's heart so God would have known either way (by the way...I think even God has trouble knowing the thoughts and intentions of a woman's heart but that is another discussion). I think David wanted it to feel to himself as though it really meant something. He wanted there to be no doubt within himself that this act of love wasn't based on convenience or the pressure of those around him...he wanted to be sure he didn't do it because of what he would get out of it. He wanted it to be very clear to everyone but most importantly to himself that this act of love towards God was genuine sacrificial love...it cost him something and he was more than willing to pay it. So that brings us to big question of this discussion...

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LOVE?

Have you ever thought about that? I mean, I don't think it was created to be fodder for 1000's of songs. I don't think it was created so Blockbuster could have another isle in their store. I don't think it was created so rose bushes would have a place in the world and nasty little heart-shaped candies would actually be used for something. If God created it and he wired us to be able to feel it and give it, what's its purpose? Love defitinely leads to pain many times. So why create it all? Well I think the answer can be found in God's ultimate act of sacrificial love...the sacrificing of His Son Jesus. Romans 5:6-8 tells us that Jesus showed us sacrificial love not only by the amazing act of giving up His life for us but also by the circumstances surrounding it. He didn't wait until we deserved it, or until we did something to give Him a little bit of hope that we might turn out ok. He didn't wait until we proved how "good" we could be. He didn't wait until there was some indication that He might get something back in return. While we were absolutely helpless and hopeless...still sinners...Christ died for us. No gaurantees, no "deserving-factor". That's sacrificial love. And by doing so He revealed His own character and nature. Afterall, God IS love. And as His kids, He wants us to allow His nature and character to be revealed in us. God created us with ability to give and recieve love so that we could be with Him and be like Him! And the best part is that through Christ's sacrificial love for us, we have the opportunity to be with Him (see Colossians 1:13-14).

As Christians, we have to ask ourselves (and God) 2 questions...

• How can I show true sacrificial love towards God?
  
• How can I show true sacrificial love towards other people?

By doing this, we immulate God and stand the best chance of reaching people around us for Him. The greatest evangelistic tool we have is not any program or plan...its not a pamphlet or brochure...its not a tract or an event...its not even how many worship songs we know or how many Bible verses we can quote or how much we pray. The greatest evangelistic tool we have is love...loving God and loving each other. Jesus said Himself that people would know we are His disciples by the love we have for each other. People notice that and it has the potential to change their lives. It might just change ours too.

So I'm on a mission: How can I love sacrificially? I have a sneaking suspicion that if I really want to find ways to love sacrificially, God is going to provide them for me. I just have to keep my eyes open. I also have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be easy...but it WILL be worth it. It always is. And hopefully it won't involve those nasty little heart-shaped candies...

Thanks for reading. Hope you check back with us next week!

-Bob