True Love

Yet another Valentine's Day is here again, and I think it's so special that it has fallen on a Sunday this year. On this day that we focus on those we care about deeply, we ought to remember the greatest love of all and the One whose love is so vast.

Agape, the love that is unconditional, nonreciprocal, and non-withheld... forever. There is only One who completely fulfills the qualifications of such a love, and He is the Lord God of heaven and earth.

We read in the greatest Love Letter of all, the Bible, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) It would take a great love indeed to be willing to die for someone. Yet that is what Jesus did for us. First, He came down from heaven to be born of a virgin. Then He grew up, living a perfect life without sin. He allowed Himself to be falsely accused and to be put to the death of capital punishment, that He being made the curse for us could take our sins upon Himself. Then He rose from the dead to conquer death and hell. All so that we who ask Him can be saved, which is the greatest valentine of all.

Because true love is so important, the Bible has much more to say about it.

In I John 3:18 we are exhorted, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." In other words, true love is doing, not just saying. Our actions should be living proof that we love God, and that we love others just as the Lord Jesus Himself has commanded us: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)

Then there's the famous "Love Chapter", I Corinthians 13, which tells of how empty our actions are without true love. It defines what true love is and is not, and concludes that true love surpasses everything else.

Through the Holy Spirit (whom He has given to dwell in us upon our salvation), the love that surpasses everything else is passed on to the believer. It is humbling to think that He has given me the capability of loving others just as God loves me... and you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Redeeming the Time

I just want to take a moment to publicly honor my grandmother. Today she celebrates 90 years of life! When she sees her cards and gifts, she doesn't always believe us that she's 90 ... 40 or maybe 60 - and that's a BIG maybe - is more like it. But that's okay. And when she does believe us, she laughs and says she doesn't feel 90. And that's a good thing.

Helping provide my grandma's care every day has taught me so much. Patience, for instance. I know there have been times when I have chosen, whether subconsciously or unintentionally, to suppress and ignore such spiritual lessons, but they are lessons all the same. Back in 2001, if I had tried to think ahead to the years to come, I think I would have said that 90 is so far away. Yet 90 is here today! And I wouldn't trade these years away.

90 years is a long time... and yet it's not. Compared to eternity what is 90 years? James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Life, the length of our lives, compared to eternity is a vapor. Not even a drop in the proverbial bucket! The Psalmist accurately says, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten." What a blessing the Lord gives us when our lives surpass that number! The Shepherd-King David goes on to say in Psalm 90, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

What are we doing with our years? I'm 24. I'm almost halfway to 50. If I live to be 72, a full third of my life has passed! Where has the time gone? I'm not really sure how it has gone by so fast. And so I wonder, "What have I done with my life thus far? Have I done anything important, that truly matters?" I hope so. I think I've strived toward that goal. More importantly, I hope that when I look back I can say I truly did redeem the time I have been given.

Psalm 90 concludes, "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." In order for the work of our hands to be established, then we have to be doing the Lord's work. We must be walking in wisdom and redeeming the time as the apostle Paul says in Colossians 4:5 & Ephesians 5:15-17, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

Redeeming the time, an important thing to do. I pray that we seek after it.

Teach me, Lord, to number my days.