Becoming Love Devotional

“We don’t need be who we used to be; God sees who we’re becoming – and we are becoming love.”– Bob Goff, Everybody Always

Love is a word, concept, and feeling that our culture throws around a lot. We use the phrase “I love you” to express how we feel about someone or something. “I love my children.” “I love tacos.” “I love a hot nonfat white mocha.” We watch movies that tell stories of great romances; a damsel in distress who accidently stumbles across a gallant gentleman coming to her rescue, both picture perfect human beings and somehow the audience (us) are not only surprised but also delighted when the two “fall” for one another. You know the type.

“Love isn’t something we fall into; love is something we become.”– Bob Goff,Everybody Always

Love

I’d like us to take a 9,000ft step back on our familiar translations of “love” and spend some time exploring the origin of love. How big is love? How small? What does it feel like? Who created it? How to we as humans obtain it? Better yet, how do we encompass it? How will we know if it’s the real deal? The Sunday school answer is obvious; God created love. And though this is true, it’s important that we explore how His creation of love, and Him being love himself (John 4:8, 16) translates in our day to day way of life. How does it relate to how we engage with ourselves and to one another?

The various Greek meanings of the word “love” in the Bible

Eros:A physical form of love.

Phileo:A feeling of affection towards someone. To be fond of someone.

Agape: To be moral, good willed towards someone or something. The concept of putting another’s needs above your own. THIS is the type of LOVE that God is most likely referring to when He instructs us to “Love one another”.

Storge: The way you might feel about your children. This word is only used a few times in the New Testament.

God’s invitation to us…

Love one another

· John 13:34 – 34

· John 15:12 – 17

· Romans 12:10

· Romans 13:8

· 1 Thessalonians 3:12

· 1 Thessalonians 4:9

· 1 Peter 3:8

· 1 Peter 4:8

· 1 John 3:11

· 1 John 3:23

· 1 John 4:7

· 1 John 4:11

· 1 John 4:12

· 2 John 5

So, if God is love and we are to “become love”, what must we do in order to embody this identity of love? Where are the places that we are getting caught in the challenge of not loving ourselves and other’s well? Is it with our time, resources, pride, or how we communicate? What do we know about God being Love?

God is Love

God’s love is generous.Where have I been generous to myself and others? In what way is God inviting me to become more generous?

God is Love

God’s love is compassionate. Where have I shown compassion to myself and others? Where is God inviting me to grow greater compassion?

God is Love

God’s love is steadfast.

In what ways have I been steadfast? Where do I need God to come alongside me to be sustained and steadfast in love?

God is Love

God’s love is gentle.What pieces of my soul feel hard and heavy? Have I come across rigid to myself or others? Where do I need to experience God’s gentleness in my life so I may be gentle?

God is Love

God’s love is everlasting.Where have I withdrawn love from myself and others? How has God revealed His never - ending love to you?

If God identifies Himself as love and he calls us his children, then we to are identified as being “love”. The funny thing about identity is that as human beings we forget who we are. We take on skins that define us by other sources; jobs, relational status, and various skills. When we do this, we do a disservice to ourselves as there isn’t any other identity more filling and satisfying as “being Love”.