“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.“– 1 John 4:7-8
We live at a time when we hear a lot of news and boasting about things we’ve learned. The sad thing is that most people are majoring on minors. They learn this and that, but never learn to love. The fact is, most folks don’t even know what love is. Much of what is called love is not love at all. J. R. Miller said, “The test of love is service. The love which does not give and do the utmost, is not love”. While much more could be said in that regards, Miller made a crucial point. Love has to do with giving rather than getting. It is the pouring out of our life for the filling of another persons needs.
The problem, our chief cause of failure, is self-interest. We allow others to do without because we are unwilling to do without– or even be deprived of our desires, which usually far exceeds our needs. Being “lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim. 3:2) “more than lovers of God” ( 2 Tim. 3:4) they have no genuine concern for others. On the other hand, as Paul said, “love “seeketh not her own” ( 1 Cor. 13:5). True love is dead set on doing good unto others, rather than gratifying self.
While many complain about not being loved, few are critical of themselves for not loving others. They expect from others what they excuse from themselves. I’m guessing that we are all more guilty of this than we would like to admit. It’s time we got brutally honest and asked ourselves this question- “Do I truly love other people?”. I didn’t say “someone”. We can all think of someone we claim to love. I said “other people”. If our heart is right no one will be left off the list. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world“, and we as we are loved so should we love. Learning to love begins with loving God because He first loved us ( 1 John 4:19) for “he who loveth God” will “love his brother also” ( 1 John 4:21). – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
