We have seen how that when a gentleman says to a lady, ‘I love you’, mostly the lady has some features he likes or he stands to benefit something from having that lady. That’s Self-interest or selfish if you like. Infact, if he cannot have that lady’s affection, he would rather destroy her than see another man have her. Have you ever heard the term ‘love murderers’? The guy claims he loves the lady so much, such that he couldn’t take it that he can’t have her, so he murders her. Could this be love?
Let me excavate this selfishness of man’s love a little bit. Take the “Storge” love for instance, which is supposed to be a natural affection of parents for children. You would think this one has to be love but you will be amazed that for the natural man, it’s still selfish.
Have you not heard or seen parents who kill their unborn babies in abortion because it’s inconvenient for them to have the baby at that time? Whose interest are they looking for? The baby’s or theirs? What about those who dump the baby in drainages after birth? You think it’s natural for a parent to care for their children? I tell you, it’s not. Many of us are victims of fathers or mothers who neglected caring and loving their own children. And even for the parents who do take care of their children, some are for selfish reasons. Haven’t you heard a parent say, “I took care of you when you were young, so that you will take care of me when I am old”? Many of them do it for what they will get back. Is that not selfish?
For some other parents, they love the public praise when their child does well in the eyes of society, so they do their best to put them in the best schools. In the end, you will find at the back of their efforts some self-interest and selfishness driving it.
When man says love, he means selfishness, even parental love. Some try their best but rooted deep at the heart of what they do is some degree of self-benefit. They can’t help it. The truth of the matter is, MAN WITHOUT GOD CANNOT LOVE. So we may describe love with words: phileo,storge,eros,etc but it can’t be love, in the way God calls love. That is why the scripture says, EVERYONE WHO LOVES IS BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD. HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE(1jn 4:8).
True love (AGAPE) is from God and of God; FOR GOD IS LOVE. That is why Jesus said,
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” – John 15:9. So first, you have to understand the Father’s Love; then you understand Jesus’ love for us; then you can properly continue that love cycle.
When the God-kind of love is let loose, you will find parents going to all length to secure a better life for their children. Some will even die so their kids can live. (My mother endured the worst kind of abuse because of her love for us.) You will find brothers and sisters going through hell for their siblings. You will see friends who put their friends interest above theirs and will do anything to help their friends. Their pain becomes your pain, and their joy yours. When this love is at work, you will find people being good to strangers they never met before and kind to even their enemies.
Love is the greatest and most beautiful thing in all of the universe. BECAUSE LOVE IS GOD HIMSELF IN ACTION. Jesus said, ‘Continue ye in my love’, and that’s exactly what we will do. Hallelujah! Praise God!
