Our world is full of mystery. There is so much we are still learning. We still haven't explored the depths of the ocean. We are still discovering layer after layer in the microscopic makeup of the genome. We are still discovering new species. We still haven't found the full expanse of outer space. We still are trying to figure out what causes the "Northern Lights" to occur as they do. Maybe ideas, guesses, theories and concepts abound...but life is full of mystery and wonder. It's one of those gifts our Creator has given us...no doubt so that we won't be bored. He has made life and our world so fascinating...so fun...so amazing. What an adventure life is! In that one of the greatest mysteries is love. Why do certain people fall in love? What causes love? What is it's source? Why is love a universal focus in humanity regardless of culture, upbringing or education? One thing is for certain...we're definitely wired for it...love that is! Of course in a world so confused about what "real love" is...it might be best to clarify. We "love" our dog...we "love" cheeseburgers... we "love" Coldplay...we "love" the Ducks...and we "love" a cold drink on a hot day! Yet what is love...true love...the real deal? Since God is love, as the bible states, then He is a good starting point. After all we have all experienced or heard of love manifested in very unhealthy ways in our culture...so clearly not all people do "in the name of love"...is the genuine, real deal, love we seek. As you examine those around you or do some soul searching yourself, perhaps the biblical definition of love is a good measure. The bible says love is: patient...kind...does not envy...does not boast...is not proud...is not rude...is not self-seeking...is not easily angered...it keeps no record of wrongs...it does not delight in evil...it rejoices in the truth...it always protects...it always trusts...it always hopes...it always perseveres...love never fails! This familiar passage of scripture used in a bazillion weddings, gives us a great definition of love. A measuring stick if you will. If someone says they "love you"...are these evident in them? If you are honest, are they evident in you? It's a great way to evaluate love...the real deal...or a counterfeit love that's unhealthy. One cool thing is it gives us something to shoot for...heck some of us don't know what real love is! Some have never experienced it personally, so how can you live it, some ask? Fortunately God is love...and He is all these things. In fact this scripture is a great description of God Himself...pretty cool eh? And if He loves us...and desires each of us to experience His love and share it with others...then this scripture gives us the "gold standard", so to speak. These verses give us a picture of what it looks like. In spite of the mystery and wonder of love...and our desire for it...we can know what the "real deal" looks like! I don't know about you, but I need all the help I can get! How about you? At ECHO we want to color our lives with God's love and share it with those around us...so that we can experience what real deal love is like and see it work wonders within our spheres of relationship. And to think we all have been invited to live in that love and share it with others...now that's pretty cool if you ask me...be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude, ECHO
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