Love Is or It Isn’t
Posted on July 10, 2020 by Catey Stover in Victory Call
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 ESV)
My daughter asked me, one day, as we walked across the metal grates in the sidewalk behind the Raws Memorial Building, “What would you do if I fell in there?”
I replied, “I’d jump in and get you.”
She said, “But what if you got stuck?”
I said, “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’d sacrifice myself for you.”
“Oh Mommy, I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me.”
“Olivia, I love you too much to see something happen to you.”
As the words “I love you too much” graced my lips I thought about the implications of such a statement. The word “too” is an adverb that means “to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible; excessively.” I realized that I don’t love her “too” much. My love for her is not excessive. I simply love her. I am forever committed to her well-being.
Such clarifiers are irrelevant when it comes to love. Love just is or it isn’t. I either love you or I don’t. Period.
John 3:16 (ESV) reads: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God so loved…
Early in my walk, erroneously I thought this two-letter word implied the degree to which God loved us was so great that He dare not spare even His own Son, Jesus.
But upon further examination, I now know that the word so, translated in Greek houtōs, simply means “in this manner.” In other words, it was manifested in this way. God’s love has no varying degrees. It has one setting. It is full, complete. Never wavering. Never waning. God’s love is steadfast.
True love, the type of love we are called to demonstrate as followers of Christ, must be the same. Any other kind is counterfeit. Any other kind diminishes the depth of commitment we are called to have towards God and our fellow man.
Written by Diera Shaw-Mendez: Diera Shaw-Mendez is thrilled to be part of the team at Barbara’s Place. She is wife to Chaplain Juan Mendez and mama to Olivia, Sage, and Orlando. She enjoys worshiping at church, designing, event planning, and cooking. Diera is a God-fearing, Starbucks loving, tech junkie (…in that order!) who simply wants to remind women of God’s unchanging, healing love.
Think About This: “God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love.” – C.S. Lewis
The Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 12-16 | You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in [e]these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. –Romans 14:16-18
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.
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