What does love look like? Blog

What does love look like?

What is love and what does it look like? Have you ever asked yourself this question? It is definitely an intriguing question, isn’t it? We can answer what love is easily. All we have to do is read the bible and it is as simple as the text on the page. But “what does love look like,” is a whole deeper subject.
Love looks different with every culture. To the Rich it may look like buying an extravagant gift, but to the poor it maybe something as simple as sitting down and spending time with them. To some Africans it may look like someone coming to drill a well for them. To some Americans and westerners, it looks like a big diamond ring or Rolex watch. To the Haitians it probably looks like someone digging through a pile of rubble to save their life. The point that I am trying to make is this. We must study one’s culture to properly know how to love and preach the Gospel to them. Not everyone receives love in the same manner. So we must take the time to sit, observe, and study a person’s culture, before we can show them the practical love of Jesus. This process can also be referred to as anthropology. In order to completely fulfill this process, you must be relational. Your goal as a believer, if you are a believer reading this, is to fuse Gods culture with mans culture, whatever it might look like. Not God’s culture, your culture, and another person’s culture. That’s just you building your own kingdom and making little mini-me’s of yourself. We are suppose to be followers of Christ, not followers of certain persons, pastors, teachers, musicians, etc.
I believe that love can be summed up in two words, selflessness and forgiveness. Jesus said himself in
John 15:12-13
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. There’s no Greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.”

We do know that within every culture, love has the same fragrance and texture. That is, selflessness and forgiveness, that’s the whole point of Christ, His coming, and resurrection.

The real struggle is figuring out how to show that selflessness and forgiveness in different cultures.
Even the Apostle Paul had the same views of preaching the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 states.
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

Often I see people who are passionate and zealous about Christ (though that passion and zeal is a wonderful thing and I do not wish to stifle it) who end up doing more harm to the Gospel than good. They simply lack knowledge, and I do blame this lack of knowledge on two parts, lack of studying and lack of discipleship. Zeal without knowledge is mentioned in
Proverbs 19:2,
“Zeal without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet
misses his way.”

You also have
2 Timothy 2:15
“Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

And there are several more verses to back up what I’m saying. So study and tell me what they are.

My encouragement to those that are showing and sharing the love of Jesus is to continue doing so, but grow in knowledge. Not just knowledge of the Bible, though that is the most important knowledge, but knowledge of people and their cultures. Take the time to learn someone before you try “saving” them. Your job is to love and be and example, God’s job is to save them.
I hope you were encouraged while reading this blog. I love you guys and I am so grateful for all you and your support! Keep in touch and come and hang out with me when I am in an area near you.

Love ya guys,

Jeremy Vanderloop