WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...what the world needs now

In the 60's there was a song by Dusty Springfield that echoed what the world needed...

What the world needs now...

is love ... sweet love

John is speaking of a whole different kind of love in the book of 1 John. The love that He is referring to is agape love, something alittle bit different than the kind of love in Dusty's song.

What is agape love?

~giving without expecting anything in return

~showing concern for others well being

~portrays Gods love

1 JOHN 4:7,8 "Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

A form of the word "love" is used at least 25 times in chapter 4 of 1 John. It is apparent that love was something very important to John to get across to his readers. In fact, here in chapter 4, John speaks greatly of Gods love.

1 JOHN 4:9, 10 "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. (10) This is love: not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

The image of love that John has painted here in verses 9 and 10 show me that to have love like the kind that God had, it may require us to pay a price. "Sin demands the price of death" (Romans 6:23) and God was willing to pay such a price through His only Son.

WHAT PRICE ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY FOR LOVE?

• Are you willing to leave the comfort of your home and go visit someone who is sick?
• Are you willing to risk being ridiculed by speaking up against victims of racist jokes?
• Are you willing to pay the price by showing love to that irritable neighbor of yours?

It is easier to just say something "nice" in passing to someone, but what about your friends? Do you say things that you don't mean to your friends? How much will it cost you to truly love people in your world?

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What do you look for in a friend?" The top 3 results of that poll were:

1. 78% of those polled said that a friend will show that they care.
2. 42% voted and said that a friend will tell the truth.
3. 42% of the readers voted and said that a friend will be trustworthy.

The poll reveals to me that we are looking for friends that show genuine love and and concern for us. Such a friend can be found in God - He has given us the example of what genuine love and concern is.

What the world needs now ... is genuine love. Not the fake kind. Not the sweet, syrupy and unreal kind of love. What the world needs now is AGAPE LOVE.

HOW MUCH WILL LOVE
COST YOU TODAY?

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD is a post once a week designated to sharing my thoughts of a current personal study that I am doing. Currently, I am studying ways that I can leave a legacy, and leave a spiritual impact for those in my world. Thank you for joining me on this journey this week! It is my prayer that you will love others as Christ loved us, even if it costs you something.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL: Please take time to vote in this weeks poll! It is located on the side bar of this blog. Remember...your opinion really does matter!