“What should love look like?” A broken-hearted teenager asked me. Tired of the teasing, the on again, off again silent treatment of girls, he desperately turned to an adult in his life.
Me.
Wow! I prayed desperately, knowing he needed truth.
I saw the perfect picture of love in my mind. Perfect, sinless Jesus praying, pouring out His heart, in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:36 records Jesus saying, “Abba, Father, All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (NIV)
Luke 22:39 (NIV) reads “Father, if you are willing, take the cup away from Me, nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.”
Jesus showed immense love and respect for God. He was willing to do whatever God asked, knowing He could fully trust Him even when He couldn’t understand or agree.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes love as this: patient,
kind,
not envious, boastful or conceited,
not acting improperly,
not selfish,
not provoked,
not keeping a record of wrongs,
finding no joy in unrighteousness,
rejoicing with the truth,
bearing all things,
believing all things,
hoping all things,
and enduring all things.
Jesus modeled that definition of love. The very definition His Father authored.
How can we humans love like that?
By believing in Jesus.
By drawing nearer to God.
By obeying God’s commands.
Jesus will enable us to learn to love like Him.
1 John 4:19 assures us, “We love because He first loved us.”
Of course, when we’re hurting, it’s hard to love like that. We want to selfishly protect ourselves. We want to justify recording wrongs.
But God didn’t create our hearts to hold grudges. They were constructed to love, love like our Father.
Like my young friend found, not everyone will understand or agree with that definition of love. Some can’t comprehend it’s sincere. Others want to abuse it.
God doesn’t ask us to defend it. He only asks us to do it.
Obey Him.
But how?
Trust in His promise that He will provide a way. When we are tempted to disobey, give up or give in, He’ll help us stand up to that temptation. (1 Corinthians 10:13). He’ll help us to love in the way He created love.
Of course, this is not limited to romantic love. This is how we are to treat all humans. Even those we disagree with. Even those who make life difficult. Even those we sometimes wish we didn’t know.
But that’s when God can help us through the temptation to disengage, disappear, or disguise.
It’s not just a heart-breaking scenario for teens when someone hurts us when we tried to show them affection and understanding. And it’s not just teens who can turn to our Heavenly Father to help us work through it, and not harden our hearts for the next person. Won’t you join me in prayer?
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for authoring love. Thank You for giving Your Son who modeled it so well for me. Help me not to give into temptation when hurt, to close myself off and to stop loving people the way You authored. Help me love as Jesus loved. I want to love like Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.