Dear John? Redeeming Love? WHAT IS LOVE?

Last night I saw the much anticipated Dear John. I don't know what it is about movies like that or A Walk to Remember or The Notebook that lure the hearts and emotions of millions of women all throughout the world, and even some guys, but that is the truth. As I was sitting there watching this "love" story I began to realize the emptiness in it all. It was quite sad to say the least. I didn't walk out of that movie being satisfied or excited for the two main characters or even inspired in any way, instead I walked out sad and disappointed in more than one way. And then if like a light bulb went off in my head I had some what of an epiphany...I realized that the reason I was so sad and disappointed was because this was anything but a "love" story; in fact it was nothing more than a story of temporary happiness and faded reality. SO WHAT you might ask? Well I'm getting to my point, I promise :). I recently had the opportunity to read one of my favorite fiction books of all time called, Redeeming Love after much nudging from my best friend. What I found after reading this book was a completely different reaction, I was actually excited, satisfied and thankful. But why? It all came down to one basic truth, it came down to the driving force, the center of the "love" described and lived out in both of these movies and that was Jesus Christ and the lack there of.

When we read verses like 1 John 4:8 which says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" we see that love, TRUE love is only found in God and through the grace and mercy we experience through redemption. Without experiencing that kind of love, without knowing God face to face, we cannot love. Human love that is not motivated by, not driven passionately through, and not grounded in redemptive love is not really love but rather emotions and feelings hidden behind a word that holds little value L-O-V-E. Think about it for a moment, how often do we throw that word around ourselves? We "love" pizza and we "love our grandma", we "love baseball" and we "love" to learn, but do we really LOVE those things? The English language lacks words that hold the weight of their true meaning. In the Greek language there were several different words for love.

AGAPE: general attraction, holding one in high regard, divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love...this was the kind of love Jesus exemplified perfectly.

EROS:passionate love, with sensual desire and longing...this is the kind of love only intended to be shared between a husband and a wife

PHILIA: friendship love

STORGE: affection, like that felt by and towards parents

THELEMA: "will" or "desire"

So as you can see the Greeks did a better job at describing their love. Anyways, back to the whole reality that unless you are in Him you can't express or experience TRUE love. But why? Love is not a feeling, although feelings are a response to it. Love is not an emotion although it produces many. Love is an action, it is a choice, a desire to put oneself above another, a desire to serve, to lay down a life for...it is seen most perfectly in Jesus Christ, through our redemptive picture. In the book of Hosea, God called the prophet to marry an adultress woman in order to show the people what they had become in relation to their walk with Him. This book is the model of the book Redeeming Love . In this book we see how Michael Hosea, the main character, loves his "Angel" (Sarah) with the love that God commands, with the love that God empowered and enabled Him with. And as you read this book you fall more in love with Jesus Christ because you realize how much HE loved you. In Himself, God is love; through Him, love is manifested, and by Him, love is defined. SO no wonder I always walk away empty, upset and not entertained by these fictional movies that draw millions, it is because the love exemplified is not really love, as it truly is intended to be defined.

And with Valentine's Day right around the corner "LOVE" is to be displayed and shown everywhere. My encouragement to all of you is whether single, dating, engaged, or married, show LOVE, TRUE LOVE, God-defined love to the people in your life. But start by thanking God for the love that He has shown you through redemption. Reflect on the cross, remember what He did and what He saved you from, and OH HOW HE LOVES YOU. That love is what must motivate you to love, without that you will never be truly satisfied, truly made happy because if Jesus Christ isn't the foundation for your love, well it really isn't "LOVE" at all.