What God Says About Love.
There are numerous books, poems, films, articles, letters, notes, thoughts, and words gone unspoken, all related to, obsessing over, and centered on love. One may argue that everything that man has created in art form has been done in the name of love. Love is the reason we suspend our disbelief in life, while watching cinema, it is the reason to hold on to hope, choose to have faith, and it is the reason we feel compelled to surrender—when everything within us can no longer withstand its oceanic force which brings us to our knees.
“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.” – Song of Solomon 8:6-7
“There was a King who became a Servant. He deserved a throne, but He got thorns.”- Rev. Rich McCaskill
The issue with love in our modern society is that its true meaning and origin has been diluted, inverted, contorted, and often times perverted. What love actually is versus how it is depicted are two very different universes.
How our world depicts love, is that its meant to be devastating; it leaves us conflicted, its impossible to find, its riddled with struggle and drama, it is hard, contemptuous, difficult to keep, and a prize to be won after a myriad of games played with the object of our affection. On our cultures good days, love is nice, sweet, a warm feeling, selfish in nature, about attraction- whether physically or socially- it is beautiful, it’s a home, its meant to last forever--yet it is fickle.
Here is the problem with the worlds definition of love: it leaves out the author, creator, beginner, finisher, and centerpiece of love. God is love. Not only did God create love, He is love itself. We cannot have love without also having God. We cannot truly experience love without Him, and we cannot experience Him without love.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”- 1 John 4:7
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”- 1 John 3:1
God’s definition of love, and the definition of love which Jesus teaches us is far different than what the world has formulated via various media platforms.
The love of God is, was, and will always be. His love is eternal. His love is power beyond power. His love is redemptive. His love gives life to death. His love makes a way where there is no way. His love turns graves into gardens. His love is a rescuer. His love is holy, worthy of all praise, commands every knee to bow, calls all creation to sing and rejoice at His presence, and His love defeats all enemies. Most importantly, the love of our heavenly Father is true, and good. In God is found no evil, no sin, no temptation, no contempt, no hatred, no unjust. His love is faithful to the ends of the age.
“We love because He first loved us.”- 1 John 4:19
With a love so good and pure, why would humanity want to separate itself from Him and by virtue, the purest form of love? The reason- sin.
Sin entering the world through deception broke the fabric which bound us eternally in perfect union and harmony with our Lord. We gave into temptation, we disobeyed His law and we hid, we were naked and didn’t want Him to see us out of shame, and we placed blame on others when we disobeyed Him. All these actions from our original parents, Adam and Eve, caused a schism within the spirit and nature of humanity and in all the earth. This saddened and grieved God deeply, but because He is a God of justice, Adam and Eve could no longer live harmoniously with Him in the garden because of their sin; and in Him is no sin. Consequently, they were cast out of that heaven on earth away from life with God. And the story goes on- leaving wars, sorrows and suffering in Original Sins wake. Despite this, God still loved us, and desired closeness with us. Because of His compassion He sent His Son, the Second Adam, to do the work that we couldn’t. Jesus is the One who saved, the One who left His throne in heaven to come down to pay the price for what our original parents did to mankind. God did all this out of deep, unrelenting love. Jesus came to rescue, restore, and redeem humanity so that we could return to a harmonious experiential love with God, through faith in the name of Jesus Christ.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”- Ephesians 2:4-5
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.”- Zephaniah 3:17
When people love without knowing the Lord, it is like walking through a hot desert while thirsty with a beautiful vessel with tiny flaws on it, which may crack if not handled with care. There is water in the beautiful vessel, but there is only just enough water to drink to have the energy to keep walking. The destination is unclear, but there is hope that its near, and there is hope that there will be more water along the journey. The issues here with this type of love, one which excludes God, is that it is fragile, unclear, uncertain, scarce, must be doled out carefully, and is hopeful without unwavering reassurance.
Now, this kind of love may feel satisfying, even thrilling to those who don’t know better. It may seem enticing, mysterious, promising, and like a fun challenge. However, things of the world are rarely what they seem, and if they are, they’re often very fleeting.
“Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”- Lamentations 3:22-23
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity, overlooking the sin of the few remaining for his inheritance? He doesn’t hold onto His anger forever; He delights in faithful love.”- Micah 7:18
When we understand who the author and source of love is, and include Jesus as the center of our love for all things- we are given love without bounds. Those who love by knowing who Jesus is, are not merely given a vessel- they are given Him. He is ours, and we are His.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”- Isaiah 43:1
When we include Jesus in love; in our love for others, ourselves, God and all things, we are given living water- and we will never thirst again. We are promised rest, peace, pardon, and fruit.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”- John 7:38
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”- Matthew 11:28-30
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: against such things there is no law.”- Galatians 5:22-23
Now that we know the differences between what a life of love looks like with and without Jesus, what can be done for those who do not yet believe in His name, but still desire a life full of love?
Here are some useful prompts for prayer to receive love which is alive and good:
1. Pray to Holy Spirit to be guided and led to the people and experiences who will bring you close to Jesus and His holy name.
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work on, and open your heart and mind to receiving that which will lead you to Jesus.
3. Pray to God for forgiveness for your sins, both old and persisting.
4. Surrender to God, and let Him know that you have surrendered to His glory and are willing to live according to His will for your life.
5. Pray to Jesus, and ask that He reveal Himself to you in a way that will be clear to you.
6. Thank Jesus for all that He has done on the cross, leading up to the cross, and for dying for you.
7. Thank Jesus for leading you to the point of coming to Him for forgiveness and receiving His loving-kindness.
8. Thank Jesus in advanced for all that He promises to do, now that you have given into His heart.
9. Say Amen.
How I help clients with any obstacles, issues or confusion regarding love, is by first identifying what love means for the client. Together, the client and I discover what love has come to mean for them, what it feels like, what the clients childhood has been, and how they perceived, received, and gave love since their formative years. From this foundational point, the client and I will go through various timelines in their life related to love, how God has been trying to get their attention, and what certain situations or circumstances moving forward can look like when God is included. We pray for peace from the past hurts, ask the Holy Spirit to intercede in the broken places where traumas were formed, and we pray for Jesus to restore the inner child who needed Him in times of darkness. Along with thorough spiritual application, we also use various CBT frameworks to help identify patterns, behaviors, and beliefs which allow for fragmented ideas about love to negatively affect the individual, then we continually challenge them until progress in the clients life and mindset is active.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”- Galatians 2:20
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:8
Love for others: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”- Matthew 22:36-40
Love for friends: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”- John 15: 12-13
Love in romance: “I found the one my heart loves.” – Song of Solomon 3:4
Love in desire: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.”- Song of Solomon 1:2
Love in commitment: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”- Proverbs 18:22
Love in marriage: “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” – Proverbs 31:10-12
Beloved, love is patient, kind, and does not envy or boast. Remember these when comparing the love you believe is real and true to what the author, beginner, and finisher of your story says about you and the endless love He has for you. The love of Jesus is enough. Faith in that alone opens you up to a world and reality where earthly love, even in the forms of friendship, family or a spouse, is just that—bound to this earth. The love of the King in heaven surpasses all which is good on earth, and for that He needs to be our first love- the foundation of which we are able to love, and receive love from others.
I pray that you receive the love of Jesus Christ into your heart, and that you may know within the seed of your being which reaches your soul that there is nothing on earth that is like it, nor can replace it.
Amen.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- Romans 8:37-39
Hello friend! Would you like to give your life to Jesus today? If so- congratulations! Go ahead and say this Salvation Prayer aloud and get ready for your life to change remarkably— forever.
Thalia Longchamp is a Christian Counselor and CBT Practitioner in New York, NY specializing in grounding any overwhelming emotional, psychological, and spiritual experiences for her clients. Her office is located in Manhattan.
