Costly part 2
This verse in the New Living Translation really changed my whole perspective on what love is; 2 Corinthians 12:15, "I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me." It's basically the same thing Jesus said when He said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13 NLT). But you know how you can hear something a million times, and it almost kind of loses it's meaning? But then you hear the same thing in a different way and it opens up a whole new world? That's where I'm at with this. Love--true, agape, God love--is giving everything you are and everything you have. Regardless of the perceived outcome. (And I say "perceived" because while the Apostle Paul wrote that it SEEMS like the more he loves, the less he is loved... the truth of the matter is that love conquers all. Love CONQUERED all 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. So even if it seems like your love is not making a difference, or worse yet being rejected, the truth is that love is the only thing that CAN make a real, lasting difference.) Love isn't about getting. It's about giving. Love IS giving. So when we're talking about loving people... that can be costly. Laying your life down for someone else. Giving maximum effort--everything you are and everything you have. That can be scary. Especially if you're afraid of losing what you've got. But guys... we are connected to an unlimited source. The very God who IS love lives inside of us. And while I'm not necessarily sure that the love you take is equal to the love you make... I AM sure that the more you give it away the more you have. Love is what makes abundant life abundant. And it's not something we need to get. It's something--someONE--we've already got. Someone we already ARE. Because in the same way that love isn't just what God does, but it's WHO God is... love isn't just what WE do, either. Love is who we are. We don't have the beast nature anymore. Jesus did away with the Old Man on the cross. We have HIS nature. The love nature. And as far as being afraid to love... look at 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." Love is about GLADLY paying the cost of helping others. Not doing it stingily (if that's a word) or doing it because you think it'll earn you something. Again--not trying to GET anything from anyone. But simply giving because you HAVE something to give. And notice I said, "simply" not "easily." Because sometimes it's NOT easy. Sometimes that selfish idea of "but I need to take care of myself" creeps in. That's when we need faith the most. Because faith is trust. Having faith in God because He has proven Himself faithful. Trusting Him because He has proven Himself trustworthy. Giving what we've got WITHOUT fear because we know our heavenly Father has our backs. Because we know that it's more real when we give it away, when we share it. Because we know that as costly as it is to spend ourselves (our three t's) when we spend ourselves on people... it's worth it. People are worth the effort. Worth the price. Worth the cost.