Recently my pastor was teaching on love and some of its aspects. One of the aspects that stuck out to me was love in humility. This is the type of love that is not seen by all. It’s the behind the scenes action of which not many can testify. I had been learning and growing in this area without being able to categorize it. Now that I’ve experienced it, I must say, it takes quite a bit of self denial. But it is natural to desire recognition for doing selfless acts because they are rarely seen, in addition to feeling unappreciated by the person receiving. I am also reminded of 1 Corinthians 13 which says that love is not boastful. Until recently, I thought that verse only referred to boasting about material things or just making a big deal about your own personal accomplishments and such; but I realized love doesn’t boast about loving either. It does not point out how much and how often you pray for the one you love or how you’ve fasted for their breakthrough, or how you’ve neglected to pray for yourself because you’ve been “so busy” caring (worrying) about them. The truth I’ve found is that God always takes care of you when you are about His business. If He puts it on your heart to cover someone in prayer and to really commit to it and bear their burden for that moment, know that your needs will be met in return for your obedience. Might I also add as a side note that if you begin to complain about your “assignment” to pray for someone, you may need to check your own intentions. You may not be praying from a place of love but rather judgment, frustration, or obligation, because love is always willing to believe and bear all things. So no matter how long it takes for that person to come out or be delivered, the love you have helps you to continue to persevere on their behalf, no matter the obstacles.
The truth is that love is humble. If we consider that God is love and look at the way He loves us in the scriptures and even in our lives, there’s no amount of selfishness in it. Everything He does is for us. He’s so awesome that He can get glory out of what He does but we benefit from everything, even His commandments. You may feel confined trying to obey God’s commandments, but everything is for your good. God isn’t power hungry or manipulative. He already has all power so He doesn’t have to fight for that. He’s sovereign, so things go the way He pleases every time. He’s holy, but we have sinful nature and that’s the friction we experience. It is the reason we oppose the idea of denying ourselves of things that please us but not God. But through relationship with Him, we find His image in us, which makes it easier for us to be more like Him.
Love and care for others without needing applause. Do things for others without expecting to be reciprocated. Jesus loved us before we even were born and no matter what we do, He has plans to continue to love us. Instead He intercedes to the Father on our behalf that He might have mercy on us and draw us in. His perfect love is difficult to fathom at times because there’s nothing like it but it is real nonetheless. Therefore if He lives within us, we are capable of allowing His love to move through us and touch someone else.
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