Love in Action

Since it’s Pi Day, I thought I’d post this spectacular image of the Creator’s sense of loving us through His perfect designs in nature - one way He shows His love in action . . . that of the beautiful geometry of a sunflower, following the Fibonacci / Golden ratio of visual perfection . . . that of the numerical Pi. 3.14 . . . sacred geometry as only a perfect Creator could construct such beauty. Thank you, Lord!

Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent – 3/14/23

“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us – and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.  How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help. 
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

This scripture piggy-backs on previous blogs – ‘Jesus laid down His life for us/for our sins’.   . . . and . . . ‘God, His heavenly Father knows everything that is in our hearts’. (and still loves us!)

It may be difficult to tell or show someone that you love them in a way that they need to hear or feel. There’s a book called “The 5 Love Languages”, by Dr. Gary Chapman.  My love language is being heard and affirmed.  My husband would ask me where I’d like to go eat, and I might say, I really want a good hamburger.  He would insist that I really wanted a steak, and he wanted to take me out for a steak.  I didn’t want a steak, I wanted a hamburger.  By denying him the opportunity to ‘spend more money on me’, I was negating his love language . . . buying me things. 

By eating the hamburger, I was (in his eyes) making him out to be a cheapskate.  No.  I simply did not want a steak, I wanted him to hear that I wanted a hamburger, and say, “Ok”, let’s go get a burger.  Who is selfish in this scenario?  Was I not honoring my husband? Was he not honoring me?

Now this might seem incredibly petty and stupid to argue over . . . why not give in and enjoy the steak?!  It wasn’t about the steak -or- the hamburger, per se, it was about him asking me my preference, ignoring my preference, forcing me to accept his preference for me, and not hearing nor affirming my choice. I saw him being manipulating and selfish. He saw me as being selfish, also.

Whether we say the words, or perform a meaningful act or gesture, at the essential core of the word or action is the true and pure intention – the end or the goal.  Why are you doing or saying that thing?  Are you doing it to earn points?  Are you doing it to make yourself feel better?  Or, are you doing or saying that out of a deep and abiding love for the other person? 

Despite what you think is the right answer, God knows the true answer and intent of your heart.  A cold-hearted person can do and/or say all the seemingly ‘right things’, but there can be a malicious, or at the very least, selfish intent behind it.  They can have an ulterior motive of manipulation or coercion, when you hear later, “Well, I did this and that for you!  And I always tell you, ‘I love you’! But you never appreciate what I do for you! . . . or similar reprisal.

I’m sure you’ve heard this scripture dozens of times before, especially if you’ve attended many weddings: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.   1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

“God is Love”, (1John 4:8) and “They will know we are Christians by our love.” (John 13:35, Paraphrased)

Love looks a lot of different ways. Love and fear cannot reside in the same space.  Often what is attempted in love, is actually performed out of fear.  It’s not that one person does not love the other, but rather, they are letting fear rule their actions rather than love.  It is certainly something to be mindful of within our own thoughts, words and actions.

“Love one another” –The new commandment by Jesus: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (John 13: 34)  Acting in love through pure intention, as Jesus did . . . that is true love in action.

Today, or tomorrow, consider doing a purely intentional act of love, simply to love another person.  Friend or foe, familiar or stranger . . . not for your benefit . . . not for brownie points . . . not to earn your way into a heart, or into heaven . . . simply a random act of love or kindness or compassion.  Offer it up, only in imitation of Jesus. See if it feels different than other actions you may have thought were done out of love.

May you continue to be blessed during your Lenten journey.