Loving Like YHWH

When Abba laid this topic on my heart as the subject for an article for this week's edition, to be honest, I didn't know where to begin.  I don't have a good track record in the relationship department . . . and that's how I perceive the word, love.  As He has shown me, it's so much more than that.  We are called to love, even when there is no relationship!  We are created in His image, and He is love.

So many songs, so many poems, so many articles written about love.  Yet, so few really have any idea what love truly is.  I looked up the word, LOVE, on my handy WordWeb.  Here is what I found.  It is both a verb and a noun.  The antonym was listed as hate, but I don't think I really agree with that, or I should say, there are more antonyms than that one!  I, personally, believe indifference is an antonym of love, as in simply feeling nothing at all.  I also believe fear is an antonym based upon I John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Verb
1. Have a great affection or liking for
2. Derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
3. Be enamored or in love with
4. Have sexual intercourse with

Noun
1. A strong positive emotion of regard and affection
2. Any object of warm affection or devotion
3. Someone who is loved (used as term of endearment)
4. A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction
5. A score of zero in tennis or squash
6. Sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people

And then there is G-d's love!  We are told in I John that YHWH is love.  So clearly, some of these definitions may give a glimpse of the kind of love that He is, but these definitions only scratch the veritable surface, and many of these definitions may actually be quite misleading.

Next, I took my search to Scripture.  The Greek term for G-d's love is agape and the Hebrew term is ahavah.  In both languages the word begins with the first letter and that seems quite significant.  Without love, Paul says we are nothing, so the first or the foundation must begin with love.  I also discovered when Messiah Y'hshuwah said we are to "love our enemies" the term, agape, was used rather than phileo.  Phileo is the kind of love that expresses human approval.  Messiah used the two terms in his sermon on the mount, so he clearly meant two different things.  G-dly love can show compassion without lending approval or seeking approval.  G-dly love, agape, is not necessarily a two way street.  Phileo is described more as brotherly love, or approval, which is where the Philadelphia gets it's nickname, the city of brotherly love.  The base word is from that Greek term.

I do love people, but I want to love them the way Messiah loves them.  I want others to see the love of our Creator in my life.   I'm just learning to be expressive in this area, truly expressive, so this is just scratching the surface.  I can be demonstrative in my love for Abba and for others, but to simply be love is another matter.  It's so much easier to show love than to be love.  I can cook my grandkids' favorite dishes, plan their favorite activities, and I can show compassion even to strangers, but to simply be love has been challenging.  As a self-described human doing, rather than a human being, I've always tried to show love.  Finally, resting in Y'hshuwah Messiah, in hearing the Voice of our Loving Creator, He's changing my understanding, my expression and my being . . .

The love of G-d is greater than we can comprehend, but the definition of humanity is so limiting and often misses the mark.

He that loveth not knoweth not YHWH; for YHWH is love.  I John 4:8