Dedicated to love

This is a devotion that I wrote for one of our college group projects. I am reposting it here for the sake of public consumption and comment....and to make me feel cool.

Dedicate yourself to love

What is dedication to Love? Love can be quite the abused word in our culture. As Christians we have staked our claim on the greatest of all loves. The Greek term "agape", meaning unconditional love, has been used in many a sermon on love. Do we as Christians truly understand love? Many times I reflect on a passage in John; "greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend." In light of this though I think about the practical application. It obviously refers to Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross. It is highly unlikely though that I will ever find myself in any position that would involve my laying down my life in any literal sense. Think of my wife for instance. She looks to me for many things, which I provide with great love. I believe that she is far more interested in having me stick around then laying down my life.

Christ in one of his parables made reference to the man who would leave 99 sheep to find one lost. This is the love that I often find myself struggling with. Not that as one of the 99 that Christ would leave me, but that perhaps as a Christian that I should also give up my fellowship with the 99 in order to seek the lost. If this is worth the attention of the Shepard, is it not worth ours. It just so happens to be that I like the 99. They are accessible. They are my kind of people. They do not wander off.

I think that I feel entirely too noble with my agape, lay my life down for you love, that I forget that Godly love often comes in much smaller packages. I have decided that for myself, I am going to redefine love. Instead of "would I die for you?" I will ask "would I be inconvenienced for you?" This goes for the other Christians that I know as well as those in the world that are worthy of my love.

Try dedicating yourself to a renewed definition of love; a love of small acts, not large sweeping declarations of life or death. Think today of someone outside our body that you can reach. Perhaps an old friend, a neighbor, a classmate, or a person from work. Go beyond just inviting them to church. Take an interest in them. Pursue a relationship with them as the Holy Sheppard once did for you.

Scripture Reference:

John 15 verses 1-17