Love's Dimensions

Chuckle: A reporter said to a 99 year-old fisherman, "I hope I can come back next year for your 100th." "Can't see why not, young man," the old fisherman said. "You look healthy enough to me."

Quote: "There is a net of love by which you can catch souls." --Mother Teresa

THE DIMENSIONS OF LOVE

"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance" (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT).

I like our passage in The Living Bible: "If you love someone, you will be loyal to him (or her) no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him (or her), always expect the best of him (or her), and always stand your ground in defending him (or her)." Genuine unconditional love is totally unselfish and always wants the best for the one who is the object of that love. Let's dissect this verse and think about each dimension of love it contains.

If you love someone, you will never give up on him or her. Aren't you thankful that Jesus never gave up on you? If we truly love someone, we will be completely loyal to that person regardless of the disappointments and heartaches we may experience. We will encourage rather than condemn -- build up, never tear down.

If you love someone, you will never lose faith in him or her. Jesus proved that He believes in you and values you so much that He was willing to sacrifice Himself for you. You are worth all it cost Him on the cross. He has faith in you that His sacrifice will not be in vain, and that you will be faithful in sharing His love and message of salvation with others. Your expressions of faith in someone is a major source of encouragement.

If you love someone, you will always expect the best from him or her. This loving expectation always sees the best in others. It looks beyond the rough surface and sees the great potential in that person you love. This expectation includes the hope that a loved person will live up to the potential given them by our Lord. It looks past the faults and frailties and sees the good in a person.

If you love someone, you will always defend him or her. Love always defends others being subjected to unfair treatment and unwarranted criticism and insults. We will never abandon someone we love, even when their actions are less than lovable. Our defense of them may not be for their actions, but for their priceless value to us as the object of our unconditional love.

These dimensions of love remind us of the love God has for us, and of our inability to love unconditionally without the help of God's Spirit within us. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It manifests itself in our ability to put aside our natural selfish desires and love others without expecting their love in return. The closer we walk with our Lord and the more like Him we become, the greater our ability to show His self-sacrificing love to others.

Love, Jerry & Dotse