God doesn’t leave projects unfinished. “But now thus
saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art
mine.”
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee.”
“For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Saviour:”—Isaiah 43: 1-3 (KJV)
"If it be so, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver
us out of thine hand, O king."--Daniel 3:17 (KJV)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep
and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your
sorrow shall be turned into joy.”-- John 16:20 (KJV)
“And we have known and believed the
love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in
God, and God in him.”--1 John 4:16 (KJV)
“There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is
not made perfect in love.”-- 1 John 4:18 (KJV)
“Beloved, let us love one another:
for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He
that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the
love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through him.”--1 John 4: 7-9 (KJV)
"Let all your
things be done with charity."--1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV)
“…never
having to say you’re sorry.” (from Love
Story) It’s been almost five decades since the novel and movie, Love Story, exploded onto the U.S. pop-
culture scene. The tragic drama of star-crossed young lovers starring All
Macgraw and Ryan O’Neal kept us crying for decades. The beautiful theme song, “Where
do I Begin?” enchants us even today.
Truthfully,
that saying, the “meme” of those low-tech times, had some of us scratching our
heads. Could love really be that that uncomplicated? Aren’t accepting
responsibility and apologizing essential aspects of any healthy relationship?
Yes, we need to accept each other as we are, but there’s more to love than that…right?
Valentine’s
Day will arrive before we know it. That’s
a celebration of romantic love. The
next few articles will explore various aspects of this important, complicated
topic.
We have one
word for love in English. That’s not always the case with other languages.
Greek is the
original language of New Testament. It includes about seven words for love. Totescute.com
lists the four main types of this emotion:
Eros—sexual passion
Philia—deep friendship; warm and tender
platonic love
Storge—family (parent/child); friendship
Agape—(unconditional; Godlike) self-sacrificing
love for everyone
Developgoodhabits.com
lists some quotes that clarify the divine emotion. I have grouped them into
categories:
Life-giving
“Where
there is love there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Active, not Passive
“Love is not only something you feel, it is
something you do.” – David Wilkerson
Focused
“The most desired gift of love is not diamonds
or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention.”– Richard Warren
Felt with the Heart
"The best
and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must
be felt with the heart.”– Helen Keller
Selfless
“In
order to be happy oneself, it is necessary to make at least one other person
happy.”– Theodor Reik“
******************************
Love
is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your
own.” – Robert Heinlein
******************************
“Love
does not dominate; it cultivates.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Persistent
“The art of love is largely the art of
persistence.”– Albert Ellis
Essential to Happiness
“Love is the master key that opens the gates
of happiness.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
******************************
“One
word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. That word is love.” –
Sophocles
Stronger than Death
“It
is love, not reason, that is stronger than death.” – Thomas Mann
Mutually Beneficial
“This
is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love; the more they
give, the more they possess.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
Inspiring
“Love
in its essence is spiritual fire.” – Seneca
My Conclusion
Love
is meek, yet powerful. It is a resource for living right. 1 Corinthians,
chapter 13, probes deeply into the characteristics of charity/love/agape.
Please enjoy this slide show set to instrumental music by Keith Washo:
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and
rivers in the desert.”-- Isaiah 43:19 (KJV)
“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow
up as calves of the stall.”--Malachi 4:2 (KJV)
“Know ye not that they which run in a
race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And
every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate
in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”--
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (KJV) (italics added)
"And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."--Romans 12:2
(KJV)
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy
Ghost.”-- Romans 15:13 (KJV)
Image
courtesy of Sweet Publishing/freebibleimages.org
“What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”--
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV) (italics added)
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened.”-- Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh
patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing.”-- James 1:2-4 (KJV)
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”-- Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV)
But
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty;”—1 Corinthians 1:27 (KJV)
“For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.”-- Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”-- John 10:27-28 (KJV)
“Although the fig tree
shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive
shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from
the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the
Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and
he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine
high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”-Habbukuk 3: 17-19
(KJV)
“And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me.”—2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)
“Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will
he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew
7: 7-11(KJV)
“Wherefore, if God so clothe the
grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” -- Matthew 6:30 (KJV)
“And if children, then heirs; heirs
of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we
may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us.”-- Romans 8:17-18 (KJV)
“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her
husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but
thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman
that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her
hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”-- Proverbs 31:28-31 (KJV)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things.”--Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection,
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”--
John 11:25-26 (KJV)
