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An Everlasting Love
Read: Philippians 1:1-11
Everyone wants to be loved. The young child, the rebellious teenager, the successful business man, and the elderly grandmother all have this in common- they all want to be known and loved. We were created to love and to be loved. We were created to be in community with each other. But what is love? What does it mean to truly love?
God’s greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. God should be our first and greatest love. The second is to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (see Matt 22:37-40). The entire law and prophets follow these commandments. God gave the ultimate sacrifice of love when he sacrificed His son Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. God’s love is incomprehensible. We will never understand the depth and the vastness of God’s love for us. His love is unconditional and everlasting. 1 John 4 states that God IS love. Jesus commands us to “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13). Ultimate love is to lay down your life, to sacrificially put others before yourself. Love is not just a feeling or emotion, it’s a choice. It’s not by your own strength, but through God who gives you strength. It’s by God abiding in us that His love is perfected in us. It’s allowing Jesus’ love to overflow through you into the lives of others. It’s blessing them because you’ve been blessed.
Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that their love would abound in knowledge and depth of insight. He wanted it to expand not only in quantity and intensity toward each other, but also in knowledge and depth of insight. He wanted their hearts and minds to grow together. This would allow them to live righteous lives, loving others and bringing glory to God in all that they do.
May we at Willow Chicago be a community of believers united in a deep, Christ-centered love. May our love abound in knowledge and depth of insight as we discern what is right and good until the day of Christ Jesus. May God’s love overflow through us into the lives of others. To God be the glory.
Reflect: Read Philippians 1:1-11 again and reflect on the following questions:
- The greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. Are there things in your life that prevent or distract you from loving God first and foremost? In what ways do you need to rearrange your priorities?
- Reflect on what it means to sacrificially love. How can you love those around you better with a true Christ-like love?
- What steps can you take this week to allow your love to grow more in knowledge and depth of insight?
Remember: Weekly memory verse
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Phil 1:9-11, NIV)
Going further- Read I Corinthians 13. Reflect on these verses on love. What areas mentioned in the passage do you need to work on in order to love others better? Pray and ask God to help you in these areas this week as you pursue a more Christ-like love.
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