After You
Written by: John Fonzer Jr.
1Jo 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God;
• As children of God, it should be our desire to ascribe to and passionately embrace anything that is of God.
• God directed Who He was and what He did towards–others. Love and loving is about another, not about self or how we can be loved in return.
• We only hear of God loving us or others. He wanted to love and be loved.
Eph 4:2 ¶ With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• The success of anything under the heavens is contingent on how we love, interact and cohesiveness. We can succeed at anything if we humans can retain unity. The story of the Tower of Babel was proof.
• Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do
• Although the situation was negative, godless and defiant, the essence of it remains true. Only disunity can negate the efforts of humans who were born in the image of God. We are, by design, creators.
• And in a spiritual sense, if we “…all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1Co 1:10 nothing is impossible to us.
• We have to artfully and carefully learn how to be involved with something and still not make it about us.
• The danger or extreme of what we call self-love is dangerous. Perhaps the extreme is self-worship. There is a self-love that numbers us among the wicked:
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy
• The child of God is commanded to love their neighbors—as they love their selves, but first of God to love God with all that is within them. (Mt 22:37)
• We need to achieve the balance of loving people as we love ourselves, not less than we love ourselves. Under those circumstances, self-love is acceptable because it is love in context.
• There is no greater love than one to die for a friend or just as you would only die for yourself. It is an equal love because you are doing for them what you would do for yourself. Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends..
• Nothing works short of love that expends itself painfully and patiently. Love is dispensed at risk and almost foolishly.
Ro 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
• Dissimulation commonly takes the form of concealing one’s ability in order to gain the element of surprise over an opponent. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissimulation)
• Love does not hold back for the sake of gaining an advantage or hold information to release it later at another’s expense.
• When we love someone, we wonder how we often wonder how we can show it. Love is manifested in what it does. It cannot be contained, concealed or hidden. It burst forth and directs itself at its object which is—away from itself.
• If you love someone, you can’t rest until you show it. Even then it is difficult to fully manifest sufficiently..
• Unselfish people are known for preferring their fellow.
• Certainly we do not keep them at arm’s length after they have hurt us. It is a very tiring endeavor. Only in selfishness can we withhold love until we trust our offenders. If our love is true, we cannot hold it back.
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July 16th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Wow. I guess when we go to church and happen to sit in someone’s “regular” seat they aren’t showing love when they look at you crossed. I’ve heard many times, church people should be showing love all the time, but are often some of the meanest people around.
It makes sense to be cautious when someone you don’t know well asks many personal questions. How many of us have been hurt by someone who knows some personal/private information about us? Sometimes people use information as a weapon – clearly not love. On the other hand, when you love someone the information comes out whether the other person asks for it or not.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:22 am
People today (especially “religious” people) are too much into “what’s in it for them”. Often it’s not a question of love, but of being humble enough to put others first.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:28 am
I could say so many thing about this post. It is wonderful. The one thing I will say is what my mother used to say, love is an action word…
July 16th, 2008 at 7:55 am
When you are selfish, you will not be able to love, as the post is telling you to do. Simply because a selfish person puts self FIRST in most, if not every, situation. This post is saying to love others as you love yourself. How many people are willing to do that? As soon as someone feels they’ve been disrespected, any goodwill towards loving the person who “disrespected” them is long gone. I agree that love is an action word, but how many people, especially church people, that you’ve come into contact with, show this action? That would be an interesting poll – How many people who say they are a Christian, that you’ve personally had interaction with, actually show love towards others?
July 16th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Hi Anita. Welcome to 7daybuzz.
July 16th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Wow! I just finished a really long response to this and lost it when I tried to add my picture. Anyway…. Love is so important! We have to give it from the cradle to the grave. Just like we want to receive it our entire lives. It determines who our children become, which is a direct result of the love we received as children. God’s love is unconditional and everlasting and though we’re not perfect like he is, we should strive to follow his examples of showing love to everyone, regardless of what kind of person they are or how they treat you.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Jesus Is Love. Ya’ll done made me want to get my “Jesus Is Love” groove on. Those who know me, know I’m talkin’ ’bout Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores.
My the Love of God be with all ya’ll.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Thank God for his mercy and grace because loving others especially those who dont love you is hard. Now I think we can all say that its easy to love those who love us but that’s not what God is looking at. Its the ability to put oneself down at the face of anger and hatred and still be loving towards those who are not loving. He wants to see how we react or act towards the one who dumps us, to the cashier with the attitude, to the client who is racist, sexist, etc. This is the true test. Its an every day challenge.
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June 30th, 2011 at 1:36 am
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December 1st, 2011 at 2:39 am
Jesus Is Love. Ya’ll done made me want to get my “Jesus Is Love” groove on. Those who know me, know I’m talkin’ ’bout Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores.
My the Love of God be with all ya’ll.