“Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” – Ephesians 6:24
What is love? Poets have been trying to describe love for centuries. Songs have been sung and stories have been written about love throughout history, but are these depictions of love accurate? How do we know if we are truly “in love”? How do we know if it’s a sincere, long-lasting love or merely a fleeting fancy?
Love is a complex emotion, and identifying the sincerity of one’s love for another can be difficult. Love goes way beyond the fluttering feelings in your stomach when your eyes meet across a crowded room. Love is more than the physical manifestation of all your hopes and dreams wrapped up in one person.
Love is a conscious decision that is made by an individual. It is not a feeling; it is a decision. What? That certainly seems to take all the romance out of it, doesn’t it? While romantic love is often the start of a relationship, eventually the romance fades, and the time for decision-making arrives. This is when romance becomes reality, and then, based upon that reality, a decision is made. Either one decides to go forward in love, or one decides to terminate the relationship.
When the not-so-perfect characteristics of an individual come to light and every fiber in your body wants to flee, yet you decide to stay … you have made a decision to love. When problems arise, the going gets tough, and you decide to stay with someone no matter what, you have decided to love. When all the layers of a person are peeled away, and you see the real deal, and you don’t choose to leave, you have decided to love. When your heart has been broken almost beyond repair, but you forgive, you have decided to love. When staying with someone costs you everything, you have decided to love. When life seems unbearable without this flawed individual, and you are incomplete without this person, you have decided to love.
When I first accepted Christ as my Saviour, it was akin to the romantic phase of love. Everything was glorious! I couldn’t get enough of Him. I didn’t have to remind myself to read the Bible or pray or go to church; it was something I wanted to do. Later, as time went on, the intensity of those initial feelings waned, and it was time to make a decision. Do I continue to love Him, or do I decide to move on? In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” so that is what I decided to do.
It would seem as though the decision to love Christ would be an easy one. After all, He sacrificed His own life to save ours. Clearly, He loves all mankind, so it should not be difficult to reciprocate that love… until the cost of loving Him is understood.
The Bible states that a life in Christ will not be trouble-free. In fact, Jesus told His followers that choosing Him would bring hardship to their lives. 2 Timothy 3:12 states, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 1 John 3:13 tells believers not to be surprised when the world chooses to hate them when they decide to follow Christ. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” So, deciding to love Christ is not the easiest thing to do.
In fact, because following Christ and loving Him is not easy, it is a daily decision we must make. To take up His cross and follow the Saviour is not made only at that one moment on bended knee at an altar; it is made every single day of a Christian’s life. In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Not only that, but this same verse states that to love Christ is to deny oneself! A decision to love Jesus means putting His desires ahead of our own, that is, making God’s will the priority in your life, and making Him first in our lives each day.
1 Corinthians 13 describes the most sincere form of love. It is a love that is born of God, manifested in His Son, and what we should strive for in our lives, especially in our relationship with Him. Among other things, it is a love that is selfless, hopeful, and enduring. It is the love that Jesus had for us when He went to the cross. It is the love God has had for each of us since all eternity (Jeremiah 31:3). God could have wiped all of humanity off the face of this earth when we sinned against Him, but He didn’t. He made a decision to love. He could have spared His Son from the suffering and agony of a brutal crucifixion, letting us remain dead in our sins, but He didn’t. He made a decision to love.
God will never force Himself upon us. Instead, He invites us to be part of His family through His Son, Jesus Christ. He waits with open arms for each of us to go to Him. I pray you have made the decision to love Him as He loves you!
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
(from “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” by S. Sundar Singh)
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15
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The decision to love God reaps eternal benefits!