|| the 2 week REAL love challenge ||

The Bible is an awesome tool in living life and measuring your standard of living. The New Testament especially does it for me. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ create the true guideline for believers and their walk in this world.

In fact, Jesus came and totally struck out the former 10 commandments of the old law (known as the Torah; the first five books of the Bible) and replaced them with two simple commandments that if followed, would ensure we never broke the original commandments:

36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

Let's focus on each of these commandments and why they are important and how to impart them into our daily life. Beginning with the second of these:

Love your neighbor as yourself...

Love. That word. The possibilities of what it means. The fallacies with the world’s definition of such; I want to take a moment and speak to the minds of the ‘romantics’ and the overly imaginative bunch.

Love is NOT butterflies. It is NOT sweaty palms. It is NOT sexual arousal. It is NOT adrenaline-induced highs. It is in NO WAY the ending, middle or beginning of a Disney Fairytale. No. I’m sorry to be the bearer of truth, but Love is none of the above. That, my friend… is infatuation. But the beauty of living as a believer, one who lives life by the standard of God’s word is he has TAUGHT us the true characteristics of Love.

The important thing to know is that there are different levels and types of Love:

1) Eros Love - known as "erotic love". It is based on strong feelings toward another. It usually occurs in the first stages of a man-woman "romantic" relationship. :Physical:
2) Philos Love- a love based on friendship between two people. :Mental:

3) Agape Love- unconditional love in essence, the most perfect type of love. :Spiritual:

Now, true Love does not only belong to your boyfriend, family, best friends, and favorite shoe salesman, etc. it goes to all of your neighbors. all. Yes. I know. Even the woman who cuts you off EVERY morning as you drive your regular route to work, even the neighborhood children who steal your roses and their mother who apathetically denies their wrong doing.

You may think that by NOT cursing at the aggressive driver or not spanking the wayward children and smacking the... sense into the mother- that you are acting in Love. But I challenge you… can you compare your interactions with the world to the biblical definition of agape Love?

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Coincidentally this breaks down into 14 different characteristics of agape Love. The way God Loves us....

1. Patient


2. Kind


3. Unresentful


4. Modest


5. Humble


6. Respectful


7. Selfless


8. Calm


9. Forgiving


10. Seeks Good, Not Evil


11. Protecting


12. Trusting


13. Hopeful


14. Perseverant

I am going to start this next week with 14 days of real Love. Each day will have a specific area of love to focus on. Monday December 1st, will begin with Patience. Showing patience to all around me is truly displaying the Love of God.

The key here is remembering, it's not ME who is able to Love perfectly, but Jesus Christ in ME who Loves me so very perfectly and unconditionally.

I cant wait to see the fruits of my Love labor….

God is Love....