By Nickole Meierotto

I might be dating myself, or maybe just letting out a bit of my weird, but do any of you remember DC Talk from back in the 90s (late 19^th century according to the kids these days)? I used to listen to the album “Free at Last” on repeat and one of my absolute favorite songs was ‘Luv is a Verb’. And while an incredibly fun song, “Luv is a Verb”  has a profound message that I didn’t truly understand in application until years later.

Love is action upon an unselfish, benevolent concern for another's well-being. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God’s action is the gift of His Son. The Bible also states in 1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.” But what’s the action on our part? What do we have to give the God who created everything?

John seems to have the answers today. In chapter 14, verse 15, Jesus is speaking and says “If you love me, keep my commandments.” And….Action! But now I have more questions. How do we even arrive at the prospect of loving God, anyway? And how does that change my perception of that if-then command in verse 15?

Aside from my children, because they are a literal piece of me, therefore impossible to NOT love, I think the first step in arriving at love for someone is getting to know them. Once we get to know them, we begin to understand what behaviors speak "love" the loudest to them, and in order for them to know we love them, we begin to go out of our own way to do those things that will show our love the best. I believe that changes my perception of Jesus' words to "keep my commandments". I love Jesus, because I know Him. I know the sacrifice He made for me, and I see the unselfish, benevolent concern He has for me. Keeping His commandments becomes a desire to show God my love, rather than proving I can obey rules. Because I know Him and love Him, I want to act. I want to grow deeper in relationship with Him. I want to let the Holy Spirit influence, guide and direct me better. I want to love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind. I want to love my neighbor as myself. I want those things because I know they are what He wants.

How do you define love? Has your definition of or approach to love changed as you grow deeper in your relationship with God?

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.' (Matthew 22:35-40)

Love

Nickole