Love Is More Than An Emotion, It Is A Devotion

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’”—John 21:15

When Jesus asked Peter that question, it was after Peter had denied Jesus, after Judas had betrayed Jesus, after the same people who had praised Jesus, crucified Him.  Love is more than an attitude.  It is more than a hope or a desire. It is certainly more than words. Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved Him three times.  Some have said it was three times because Peter had denied Jesus three times. While others have said that Peter answered in two ways. First, “I love you like a friend, Jesus.” Second, “I love you like You love me, Jesus – like a brother”  Third, “I love you like You love me, Jesus – sacrificially, without limit.”But Jesus told Peter it is not enough to love God, Peter must love others in the same way that Jesus loved.  What does that kind of love look like?

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I recall telling one of my children that if they lied to me, they were showing that they did not love me.  They said that was not true. I was talking about the love that comes from the Father through the Spirit.  Like Jesus talking to Peter.  They, on the other hand, were talking about natural love.  Conditional love. Situational love. Circumstantial love. Love as they defined it and justified it.

The two greatest commandments are found in Matthew 22.  Jesus said that they sum up the whole Law.  They are the essence of the Bible.  If you boil down all of the words God has given us, what would be left are these two admonitions.

“Jesus said to him [a lawyer asking about the greatest commandment], ‘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 22:37-40

You can’t love like that without the power of God and broken and contrite heart. If you are living in the power of your will and your frailties you will never love others the way God intended. To love that way, requires that you trust God for the outcome and not the ones you are loving. We love others because God said to, not because they will love us back.

We love others because we first love God.  The natural product of our love and devotion to God is love for others. Love for others without God is natural and flawed.  Love is more than an emotion, it is a devotion. Love is more than words.