Lois and Clarke, Romeo and Juliet, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy.........ahhh love.
Love, it is so real and yet so intangible too sometimes. A favourite movie of mine is the high adventure romance called The Princess Bride. I love it's quirky characters and quick wit but mostly I love Wesley's undying love for Buttercup. Take a look at this video of The Princess Bride to the song " Wait for You" by Elliot Yamin.
Books, music, television, movies, the internet all try to tell us what love is. There is a huge range in the definition and portrayal of love. To some, love is equated with sex. Others have given up on the idea of love. It's just something Hollywood has made up, it doesn't exist, it's a delusion. But in the story of Ruth from the Bible, we see true godly love from all the key characters, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.
Naomi loves her daughter-in-law Ruth and treats her as her daughter, giving loving wisdom and guidance. Ruth demonstrates steadfast and faithful love towards Naomi by remaining with her, taking care of her to the point of being willing to marry her kinsman redeemer and not putting her own likely preference for younger men before her commitment to her new family obligations (Ruth 3:10). Boaz shows gracious and generous love towards Ruth in marrying her even though he was not obligated to as there was a kinsman-redeemer nearer than him who has first right to a levirate marriage (Ruth 3:12). I love Boaz's response to Ruth's request for marriage, "But if he is not willing, surely as the Lord lives I will do it." (Ruth 3:13b). That sounds like a man determined and willing, not someone who feels backed into the corner bending under rules or regulations being forced into a marriage that he doesn't want. In many other smaller ways Boaz shows kindness and love towards Ruth by taking her under his wings and keeping her protected and well looked after as she gleaned in his fields during harvest time.
'Ruth Gleaning' Painter: James Tissot; Date: 1896
The central message in Ruth revealed through the ordinary lives of a few Israelites is the character of God as the great redeemer who loves and saves. The New Testament reveals to us that God redeems us at the cost of his son Jesus. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:4-9).
And so great is his love that his waits for us to voluntarily return that love "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
So in a time and a world where love is a mixed message, and where relationships are imperfect lets look to the Bible to know what true love is and use God's love revealed to us through his word as our standard and reference point as to how to love others.
I challenge you to take stock of how you treat the people in your life and ask yourself the question, am I loving them the way God wants me to? If the answer is no, then start afresh today and ask God to enable you to love others with a sacrificial love that is not self-serving and gives him all the honour.
Love, it is so real and yet so intangible too sometimes. A favourite movie of mine is the high adventure romance called The Princess Bride. I love it's quirky characters and quick wit but mostly I love Wesley's undying love for Buttercup. Take a look at this video of The Princess Bride to the song " Wait for You" by Elliot Yamin.
Books, music, television, movies, the internet all try to tell us what love is. There is a huge range in the definition and portrayal of love. To some, love is equated with sex. Others have given up on the idea of love. It's just something Hollywood has made up, it doesn't exist, it's a delusion. But in the story of Ruth from the Bible, we see true godly love from all the key characters, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.
Naomi loves her daughter-in-law Ruth and treats her as her daughter, giving loving wisdom and guidance. Ruth demonstrates steadfast and faithful love towards Naomi by remaining with her, taking care of her to the point of being willing to marry her kinsman redeemer and not putting her own likely preference for younger men before her commitment to her new family obligations (Ruth 3:10). Boaz shows gracious and generous love towards Ruth in marrying her even though he was not obligated to as there was a kinsman-redeemer nearer than him who has first right to a levirate marriage (Ruth 3:12). I love Boaz's response to Ruth's request for marriage, "But if he is not willing, surely as the Lord lives I will do it." (Ruth 3:13b). That sounds like a man determined and willing, not someone who feels backed into the corner bending under rules or regulations being forced into a marriage that he doesn't want. In many other smaller ways Boaz shows kindness and love towards Ruth by taking her under his wings and keeping her protected and well looked after as she gleaned in his fields during harvest time.
The central message in Ruth revealed through the ordinary lives of a few Israelites is the character of God as the great redeemer who loves and saves. The New Testament reveals to us that God redeems us at the cost of his son Jesus. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:4-9).
And so great is his love that his waits for us to voluntarily return that love "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
So in a time and a world where love is a mixed message, and where relationships are imperfect lets look to the Bible to know what true love is and use God's love revealed to us through his word as our standard and reference point as to how to love others.I challenge you to take stock of how you treat the people in your life and ask yourself the question, am I loving them the way God wants me to? If the answer is no, then start afresh today and ask God to enable you to love others with a sacrificial love that is not self-serving and gives him all the honour.
No comments:
Post a Comment