What the World Truly Needs

The Way of Love: Part 1

Thank you for joining me today as we explore the concept of love from a biblical perspective. As you read, I encourage you to reflect on how these ideas might transform your own walk with Christ. If you find this post helpful, please consider sharing it with others who might benefit.

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The Timeless Call for Love

In 1965, Jackie DeShannon’s voice rang out with a powerful message: “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Nearly six decades later, this sentiment resonates even more strongly in our politically polarized world. The Beatles, too, sang extensively about love, with songs like “All You Need is Love” echoing DeShannon’s plea.

But what do we really mean when we say the world needs love? Do we truly understand the depth and breadth of this concept, especially when viewed through a biblical lens?

The Shape of Christian Love

Christian love, far from being an abstract concept or mere feeling, is a tangible way of life. It’s not just an emotion but an act of the will, a mindset that requires practice and intentionality. This love has a distinct shape, a form that can be seen and experienced in our daily lives.

Jesus emphasized the primacy of love for his followers when he gave us the Great Commandment. When asked by an expert in the law which commandment was the greatest, Jesus replied in Matthew 22:37-40:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Practical Nature of Biblical Love

This commandment to love is not a vague directive but a call to specific actions and attitudes. It encompasses all ten commandments, showing us that true love for God and neighbor looks like something concrete:

1. Having no other gods before the Lord

2. Not making idols

3. Not taking God’s name in vain

4. Remembering the Sabbath

5. Honoring parents

6. Not murdering

7. Not committing adultery

8. Not stealing

9. Not bearing false witness

10. Not coveting

Jesus further expands on these commandments in the Sermon on the Mount, revealing that they go beyond outward actions to the intentions of our hearts.

Love as a Way of Life

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, provides practical examples of what it means to “walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:2). In Ephesians 4:25-32, he gives a list of behaviors that characterize this love:

- Speaking truthfully

- Managing anger without sin

- Working honestly to help those in need

- Using words to build up others

- Letting go of bitterness, rage, and malice

- Being kind, compassionate, and forgiving

Paul’s famous “love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13 further elaborates on the characteristics of true love: patience, kindness, humility, selflessness, and more.

The Challenge and the Promise

Walking in the way of love as described by Jesus and Paul is challenging. It’s far more demanding than reducing love to a slogan or a feeling. However, the good news is that we don’t have to love perfectly to be perfectly loved by God.

Through Christ’s redemptive work and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we become new creatures capable of walking in this way of love. While we participate in this process, it is ultimately God’s power working in and through us that enables us to love as he loves.

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Reflection Questions

1. How does your understanding of love align with or differ from the biblical concept presented here?

2. In what areas of your life do you find it most challenging to “walk in the way of love?”

3. How might your relationships change if you consistently practiced the kind of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13?

4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in your ability to love others?

5. How can you make loving God and neighbor a more intentional part of your daily life?

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Action Steps

1. Choose one aspect of biblical love from Paul’s lists and focus on practicing it this week.

2. Reflect on how you can love God “with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” in practical ways.

3. Reach out to someone you find difficult to love and perform an act of kindness for them.

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Thank you for taking the time to read and reflect on the way of love. If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with others who might benefit from these insights. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more weekly devotionals and Bible studies. Remember, there are additional resources available on our website that don’t go out via email. You can find more devotionals, Bible studies, and other resources by visiting Walking Points.