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January 29, 2013 10:34am

 

This month we will see and hear a lot about love, although most of it will be a somewhat distorted view, seen through a Hollywood-driven prism that puts the emphasis on feelings and emotions. There is no doubt that love, in its greatest context, includes all of these, and much more, but to confine love to that limited context is to miss the greatest characteristic of all:

 

             Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 

Each day, on the other side of the world, the truth of this statement is lived out by brave men and women of our armed services as they put their lives on the line for those of us living back home in relative safety. Yet, if you read any of their interviews, statements and published writings, more often than not they relate their heroism to a very simple motivation: fighting to protect the man or woman next to them. That most basic act of love, as Jesus said, is at the root of every heroic act of valor, both report and honored, and even more often, unsung and unmentioned. Their unselfish example is a reflection of the greatest act of love the world has ever seen that “God so loved the world” act of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins.

 

That single, unselfish act by God’s one and only Son has forever set the standard for true love. We are most like God when we are giving; and least like Him when we are taking. But that level of performance is only accomplished as we also follow His example of humility, for we read in Philippians 2 that He first “emptied Himself” and made himself of “no reputation,” setting aside all that was rightfully His as the Creator of the universe to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. It is when we put ourselves last and others first that we are most like Him!

 

So as we celebrate love this month, we want to look for ways to be intentional in “serving one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). Here at Thy Word Network, we want you to know that we are here to serve you, not only through the daily radio broadcasts, but also through our prayer ministry. Each day, when as a staff we pray for and with our listeners, we bring requests and needs before a God who hears and answers prayer…..and each day, as we open the mail, we see expressions of love in the sacrificial gifts that you send to keep us broadcasting God’s Word. Thank you for that…and may we all reflect the highest standard of love in our daily lives…love that gives!

 

--Floyd