Love’s Intent
Romans 13:9-10 Amplified Bible (AMP)
9The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 10Love does no wrong to one's neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.
As I read this scripture in my devotional time yesterday it struck me and the question that I heard being posed was what is love’s intent? What should the intent of love be for those who believe God and call themselves after whom they say they believe as a Christian? One of the saddest facts is that growing up before there was ever a reality television shows or reality television really became some of the top rated shows, I saw more drama unfold in the church than anywhere else. I saw people that said they loved God and that would shout, speak in tongues and pray down heavens fire display a lot of things but much of it had little or nothing to do with love. There was backbiting, gossiping, killing people with their words and deeds, being jealous over positions and people, people just being down right mean because they could and taking people to task over position and over men and women. Even as a young adult I had served under ministers and people who intentionally hurt me in the church and used fear and manipulation and say that God was using them to work things in me, yes they were right, but it wasn’t what they thought but patience and to increase my prayer life and really know God for myself. But to take a line from Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway, “Where is the Love” and where was the love?
If God is love and we are following Him, why are our footsteps not based in love, but in emotion, power, pride and the excuses of the day? Why is it so easy for us to be hateful to one another, to form an opinion and take a disliking to someone based upon something they have on or don’t have on; by the tone of their voice or the way they speak or even praise God? Love never intends on doing wrong, hurting or destroying. Love covers, it does not seek to destroy, or even have its own way. Love will lead us to do what is right by people, not what is wrong, to sacrifice, and make things right. Love will force us to examine ourselves, our words and our intent; love won’t just allow us to fire off words or actions without thought for God being aware of our actions and for the feelings and spirit of the person or persons involved. My husband has an interesting way of ministering to men that say that they are in love. He will take them to I Corinthians 13 and read it with them, and then ask, are they doing all of these things or at least aspiring to do all of these things? He will ask are they willing to give their lives for her. Love’s intent is about healing, help, understanding and sacrificial giving. It is about the right not the wrong, truth and correction done in a way that promotes change and covers and gives direction that benefit not tears down and destroys. Love’s intent is not of judgment but of mercy and grace.
When we say we love and we are in Christ, our life should show the intent of the love of God in the earth. There should be a difference in our reaction and our responses, we should not be the same as everyone, else or worse for that matter because we have the very essence of love abiding in us, or do we? My mom and grandma used to say the proof is always in the pudding. It is true how we live will inevitably alert others and tell us the truth of who God is to us. You see because the very intent of us loving will state who has preeminence in our lives and the very descriptive nature of how we show love will tell the story of how we are living and if we have a heart and spirit that is bond and connected to the one true God. If you ever watch a child that is close to their parent or parents and loves them deeply and admires and aspires to be like them, they have attributes that can be identical to them. They may walk, talk and address people like them, they will demonstrate respect and regard for others like them, and they will certainly care for and love as they do. It is the same with us. The way we love and the intent of that love will tell who our parent is all day, every day! So who’s your Daddy and what are you showing about how He has taught you to love?
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