The Price of Love

“So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to Him but a few days.” (Genesis 29:20 NLT)

Love, like faith, is in many ways an intangible. It becomes visible only when acted upon. How many times a day do we tell someone that we love them? How about Jesus? Do we “love” Him? What is the “proof” of that love?

In my humble opinion, I believe love carries a very high price. For example, in John 15:13, Jesus said: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Few have opportunity to do that literally, but we all have numerous opportunities every day to illustrate love by laying down our lives for someone. How so?

The Apostle Paul defined “love” on a grand scale in 1 Corinthians 13, but I believe we can boil down what he wrote in a few words – put others before ourselves! How do we do that in practical ways. One definition of love I read a long time ago simply said “Love = Time.”

I’ve seen people work 12-16 hours a day for years, and if you asked them why? They would say some variation of: “Because I love my family and I want to provide well for them.” I’m sorry folks, but that’s not love. “Love = Time” doesn’t mean time at work, it means time with the person you love. Absent fathers have contributed to the creation of a whole generation of men who have lost their way.

In a recent BreakPoint article John Stonestreet wrote: “As NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway mentioned recently on Bill Maher’s show Real Time, ‘The most unstable nations in the world have one thing in common — and that is that they have too many lonely, broke, and alone men.’ And yet that’s exactly the type of person modern culture is producing.”

There’s a tremendous price to pay for giving love, just look at the Cross of Christ, but there’s also a great price to pay if we haven’t received love. What’s the answer? Jesus! “Whoa, isn’t that a little simplistic?” you may be thinking. Not if we take our walk with Jesus seriously. How so? How can we possibly reach a whole generation of “lonely, broke, and alone men?” The same way more than 2 billion people in our world have been reached for Jesus – one man at a time!

I love my church. In my nearly sixty years of walking with Jesus, it’s the best church I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of. Are they perfect? They might have been before I showed up, but certainly not now, but they do a lot right. I love their transparency, especially from the Pastors and leaders. They’re not afraid to share their flaws and challenges, but they’re also not afraid or ashamed to declare their dependency upon Christ and each other. We’re a family above all else, and we love each other and are determined to love others to Jesus.

Our heart is to reach this generation of men and women with the love of Jesus. Not exclusively, of course, but we’re seeking not to let young men and women fall through the proverbial “cracks.” The Pastors have asked older men and women who are determined to make much of Jesus, to seek out younger men and women and pour ourselves into them. One of our younger Pastors has initiated a ministry to young people 18-25, and the response has been really positive.

Folks, we’ve got to let Jesus not only love us, but love others through us. What might that look like? Kindness, courtesy, thoughtfulness, unselfishness, but most of all – TIME!

By devoting time to writing notes, extending invitations through whatever means you have available, inviting young people into your life. We can begin with our own kids, grandkids, neighbor kids, who are speeding aimlessly through life headed for a Christ-less eternity. We must do all we possibly can to show them what love looks like by willingly pouring ourselves into them and out for them, to the honor and fame of our Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊