M y name is Randy," wrote a young reader to American columnist, Ann Landers. Maybe you will remember me by the letter I wrote you three weeks ago. I just wanted to tell you how things turned out.
"Remember how I thought for sure I was in love? I wanted to give Dottie my class ring and my identifi- cation bracelet. I even wanted to buy her a $50 heart-shaped box of candy for Valentine's Day. I was like crazy, man. My head felt light as a feather. When I looked at Dottie I got weak in the knees and almost fainted. I per- spired until my shirt was soaked through. My appetite was shot and I couldn't even look at food. Mom told me I looked terrible and she called the doctor. "Well, it wasn't love at all. It was the flu." Randy thought it was love when it was the flu. There are many others who also thought it was love, but then it flew!
Love- What is it?
What Is It? What is love? I saw a humorous definition which said, "Love is a heterogeneous conglomeration of absurdity calculated to bamboozle the anatony of the individual who becomes intoxicated with its abominable and irresistible power." "Could that ever be love? Here is another one. "Love is a feeling you feel when you feel that you're going to get that feeling that you never felt before." Whatever that is, it surely isn't love.
The Romans had a pantheon gods: Jupiter, god of the heavens; Bacchus, god of wine; Diana, goddess of the moon; Neptune,god of the sea; Mars, god of war; Minerva, goddess of wisdom. And their god of love was Cupid. This chubby, blindfolded boy had wings and flew with bow and arrows. dly does not do anything and everythino Whenever Cupid shot with a gold- it feels. Rather, in true love, the tipped arrow, his victim fell blindly in love with the first person encountered. Could that be true love?
Do you know that the shortest and most profound statement on love is found in the Bible? Just three words "God is love" (1 John 4:8)."No, not that kind of love," someone objects, "tell me about romantic love-the hugging and the kissing love. " That is the love we are talking about! All true love -parent for child, husband for wife, girlfriend for boyfriend -all true love comes from God. That tender emotion, ability to desire, that capacity to caress was implanted in our being by the Creator, God. He is the Source of love. And if love comes from God, it can be comfortable in the presence of God.
But for every good thing that God has made, the devil has improvised a counterfeit. Kobe's counterfeit is infatuation. The big question is: How can one discern the counterfeit from the genuine? Let us examine some differences.
Infatuation or Love
Infatuation is ruled by feelings, but love's feelings are ruled by principle. In the field of infatuation, the feelings are in charge. But the problem is that our feelings are fickle. They change easily. Today I feel great, so I kiss her. Tomorrow I feel terrible, so I kick her. That's not love!
True love has feelings, tender feelings which are put in the human heart by a caring God. But love is not composed of feelings only. It is feeling plus principle. Moreover, love is not controlled by feelings. It does not do anything and everything it feels. Rather, in true love, the feelings are under the control of principle.
One of the grandest descriptions of love is found in Scripture. Here it is: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it Keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, a ways trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13:4-/) Then conmes the profound statement, "Love never fails" (verse 8).
Infatuation is blind, but love sees and examines.
Like Cupid, infatuation is blind. It cannot see a hd does not wish to see! When a girl recognizes that her boyfriend is hooked on drugs, but still proceeds with plans for marriage, Cupid has Wounded her! When a boy observes his girlfriend flirting continuously with other men. but still goes ahead with the love atfair, infatuation has blinded him! Jesus asked, "Do you have eyes, but fail to see?" (Mark 8:18). True love uses eyes to see and to examine the strengts and weaknesses of the prospective patner. It is not afraid to ask hard questions nor to do difficult examinations.
Infatuation is in a hurry, but love takes time.
Everything of permanent value in life takes time. We can build a shack overnight, but if we are building a house that will stand the fury of a hurricane, that takes time. We can put up an artificial Christmas tree overnight, but to grow a real tree, that takes time. It has to be planted, watered and nourished for weeks, months, or years.
Love is a plant- a tender, pecious plant. Infaatualion is ever in a hurry: see her today, court her tomorrow, and marry her the day after. It's "love at first sight." It's "puppy love" And someone has rightly said, "Puppy love leads to a dog's life." But while this puppy love" is in a hurry, true love takes time-time to know and time to grow. Knowing a person always takes time and there is no "short cut." Growing a relationship takes time, and God expects couples in love to "grow up" (Ephesians 4:15).
Infatuation is obsessed with externals, but love is concerned with internals.
"Puppy love" is obsessed with the figure, is a slave to the fashion, and is intoxicated with sex appeal. In fact, where infatuation reigns, sex dominates the relationship. True love admires the figure, appreciates appropriate fashion, and anticipates sexual intimacy within the bond of marriage. But these are not the greatest concerns of true love.
True love is more concerned with the personality, the kind of person the partner really is. Love examines the habits, the inner virtues or vices. True love pays attention to the character, the inner self. This love, which comes from God, tries to look at a person the same way God looks at people. "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"(1 Samuel 16:7). While we cannot read a person's heart, ourconcern should be more with the beauty of character rather than the beauty of figure.
Infatuation is childish, but love is mature.
Childish and selfish, this "puppy love" says, "Give me, " with little or no concern for the to other. It is self-centered. But true love is other-centered. It is concerned with the welfare of one's partner. Childish and irresponsible, infatuation says, "I don't understand the word tomorrow; give it to me now." It cries for gratification today, regardless of the consequences later. On the other hand, true love refrains from enjoying today that which it will regret tomorrow. Infatuation thinks "like a child" and behaves like a child, but true love is mature-it has "put childish ways behind" (1 Corinthians 13:11).
Infatuation is a human ditch, but love is a divine ladder.
One goes down, the other goes up. Infatuation is a ditch into which blindfolded people fall, but love is a ladder onto which wide-eyed people climb. Ina certain sense, we do not "fall" in love; we climb on to love. True love does not come by accident; it involves effort. It takes thinking and working and caring. So, while infatuation is a human pit, true love is a divine ladder. And every person has the freedom to choose between the tragedy of one and the triumph of the other.
The Greatest Lover
All true love comes from God. But Christ is not the inventor of love; He is the tenderest demonstrator of love. Not only does He create lovers; He is the world's greatest Lover. Nineteen centuries ago, He came to earth and lived a life of love. He hugged the babes and blessed the children. He smiled at the bride and rejoiced with the bridegroom. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He taught the youth and comforted the aged. He challenged the men and wept with the women. He fed the hungry and encouraged the weary. His was a life of love. But not only in His life, in His death Jesus also showed His love One awesome night He entered the Garden of Gethsemane. All alone, He knelt and prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me"(Matthew 26:39, NKJv). As the weight of the world's sins began to rest on Him, Satan whispered, "Why go to the cross? Why not return to heaven? Judas will betray You! Peter will deny You! Your disciples will forsake You! Sinners You are trying to save will curse You! Why go to Calvary? Go back to heaven's glory!" But love re- fused to listen. Sufferings of Love At Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, heartless soldiers nailed Christ to the cross and plunged it into the ground. On His head was a cruel crown of thorns. His bleeding back had been cut by the painful whip. His hands and feet were pierced by rusty spikes. Love was suffering on that cross. But it was not the physical pain that bothered Jesus. While He felt that pain, it was the mental and spiritual anguish that caused His greatest suffering. When Judas realized the enormity of his sin, the terror of his own guilt drove him to commit suicide! But that was only the terror of one man's sins! When Jesus hung upon the cross, He was bearing the guilt and terror of the sins of men, women, and children of all countries of earth throughout the centuries of time! Such anguish can neither be described nor understood.
All the murders of the world with the cries of the murdered and the terror of the murderers bom- barded Jesus on the cross. The wars of all time with the screams of dying sinners and the panic of those who caused them to die harassed the soul of Jesus. All the broken families with the cries of angry children and cruel parents and the guilt of heartless hus- bands and cursing wives, tortured the spirit of Jesus. The anguish of the adulterers, the agony of the liars, the haunting of the thieves-all of these bombarded the consciousness of Jesus. Sin broke His heart!
Then the strangest thing happened. The iniquity of the whole human race began to shut away our Savior from His Father. He had an awful feeling that He had never experienced before. He felt Himself drifting farther and farther away from His Father. In vain He kept trying to reach S God, until in desperation He cried, "My God, My God, why have You for- saken Me?" (Matthew 27:46, NKJv). The Father was right there beside the cross suffering with His Son, but He could not reveal Him- self. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19,NKJV).
Thunder pealed! Lightning flashed! Darkness covered the land!And Satan spoke again, "Are You still going through with this?" Then the devil threatened, "t you go to the grave, you'll never come back!" But as the eyes of Jesus saw the lost human family His mind was set: He would pro- ceed with Calvary. Then, for love's sake, He died!
The Exchange
Why did Jesus go to the cross? Love! Love for you and me! We should have suffered and died, for "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Thať's eternal death, with no hope beyond the grave. But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, NKJV). The incomprehensible thought is that Christ exchanged places with us. He took our eternal death so that we may enjoy His eternal life! "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, NKJv). "Greater love has no one than this" (John 15:13). This is the sweetest love story of history. On January 20, 1936, upon the death of his father, George V, Edward VII was crowned king of England. But the new monarch fel in love with Wallis Warfield Simpson and the British government opposed their marriage because Simpson was not of royal blood; she Was a commaner More than that, she was twice ma ried and divorc She was consid. ered unworthy of the love of thekin However, the ruler aftirmed his love for this commoner, and decided that no sacrifice was too great to be made for her. So on December 11, after a reign of less than a year, the monarch abdicated his sovereignty and er changed the glory of his throne for the hand of this woman. Edward became a famous lover when he walked away from the throne of England to say "I love you," to Wallis Simpson. But Jesus became the world's greatest Lover when He walked away the throne ot heaven to say, "I love you" to unworthy men and women who did not love Him! What an incredible love story!
The Answer
All over the world, people are captivaterd by the Picture ot the cross. Men and women ot all walks of life-rich and poor, black and white, letered and unlettered-listen to this sweet story and exclaim, "Oh, how I love Jesus? "
The big question is: Is it really love? Like Peter, we need to hear the very voice of Jesus asking us that penetrating question.
Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" Yes, Lord, he said, 'you know that I love you..
Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me? He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you...
The third time he said to him, Simon son of John, do you love me?
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the thind time, 'Do you love me?
He said, Lord, you know all things: you know that I love you" (John 21:15-17)
Do we truly love Jesus? Is our love genuine or counterfeit? How can we tell the difference? The answer is simple but profound. Since Christ's love for me is true, He gave His life for me; if my love for Him is true, I will give my life to Him.
Today, as we gaze afresh at Calvary and contemplate history's greatest love story, would that each would bow in deep sincerity and say, "Dear Lord, thank You for loving me and giving Your life for me. I now give my life to You, because l love You."
Let's have a coffee
Hari
Blessings
