Love is Expensive

Love is expensive, and before continuing I will preface this statement with an idea: “If I acknowledge that love is precious, valuable, and costs a great price, I can more highly appreciate and value the love shown me.”

expensive

adjective
“an expensive meal: costly, high-priced, dear; overpriced, exorbitant, extortionate;
informal steep, pricey, spendy, costing an arm and a leg, big-ticket, costing the earth.”
ANTONYMS cheap, economical.

Like anything precious on this earth, love when expressed is in its nature finite, having limitations and bounds. It can be measured (Luke 7:47). It would seem that once love is given, it is no longer your own but is given to it’s recipient. Limitations are part of what makes love precious, and what makes anything on this earth truly valuable.

So how do we have love in the first place?

I have observed that we only have as much love as we have received on this earth. From the moment you were born, you came into this world with nothing. You received everything you currently have, you received your language, as was your education, your wealth, or anything else…including love. The love that was given you is now yours to steward and grow; to give away or to keep for yourself. We are not humanly capable to self generate love; either you have allot or you have little…

or even none at all.

Paul said it this way,
“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” (1 Corinthians 13:3 msg)

This often presents quite an internal argument for most of us. This observation feels unfair. When confronted with this notion it creates a problem…an issue of have or have-nots.
But what if it is true?

How does the loveless give or gain love?

to be continued…
PART TWO: Love is a Paradox

 

What makes a man?

When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
– 1 Kings 2:1-4

What makes a man? David explains that which God had shared with him: a man is attentive, a man walks in faithfulness, a man gives his all to God. This I believe is the strength that man is offered. He is given awareness, he is given the capacity for faithful action, he is given a heart and a soul…each facet given him that he may also give.

The Giver: gracefully sufficient

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.
– 2 Corinthians 9:6-9

A cheerful giver is the response to grace given. Since the Father has given us grace, we in turn give liberally to others. In the same way that God was not compelled to give us what we needed, the bride of Christ, formed in the image of God, gives not out of compulsion but out of grace…and grace being something given, not out of what one deserves but as a result of one’s need.

More blessed to give

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of The Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’ – Acts 20:35

It is not recorded in scripture when Jesus said this, yet this most quotable portion of wisdom is found on the tounges of many. These words are eternally true.

In this season I find it hard for me to give…it is difficult for me to give…it is difficult to give what you feel like you do not have. Recently the thoughts plaguing my mind have been, “what do I have to offer?” I have not come upon one who can give me an answer…perhaps because they cannot answer this question if asked of them.

Lord reveal to me what You have given me; that I may freely give to others; that I may spread blessing in this place.
Amen