Thought for the Week

I would like to describe perfect love but I am not sure I can. First, I would say that no person who is only human could understand perfect love and could certainly not practice it. Therefore, I have rejected using a human dictionary to describe it. One dictionary I have, gives fourteen definitions for “love,” then gives 31 hyphenated uses. Only God can define and practice love perfectly. Part of the reason is because God is omniscient and eternal. That means He knows everything about everything and He has known it forever. In addition, Scripture tells us, “God is love.” (I John 4:8, 16) God’s nature is love, so God loves. God wants what is best and He knows what is best, for the object of His love. Since God is also Omnipotent, which means He is all-powerful, He could make it possible that only the best happens. But in God’s creation of man (humanity), God has placed a limit on Himself. He has given man – made man (humanity) – a free-moral-agency. That means man is allowed to make decisions for himself. God gives man opportunity to make choices. God does not compel man to do His will. I’m convinced, it would be better if man did always do the will of God, but he can choose to do otherwise. Man can resist God’s offers. God allows this because we believe it is somehow part of God’s love and somehow best for man not to be like a robot programmed to do only what God wants. There is another complicating factor: “Man is responsible for the choices he makes.” Every choice, every action, has consequences. When man makes a good choice, and enjoys a good result, he feels satisfaction. I believe this gives pleasure to the man and also to God. Small example: “When our children made a good decision and enjoyed the results, not only they but we enjoyed seeing their pleasure.” We can see this in God as well during the time of Creation. At the end of each day’s creativity, God saw and said, “This is good.” At the last day of Creation, God said, “This is very good.” On this last day, God had made man, in His own image and after His own likeness. He had put within man the ability to love and receive love. When man exercises this ability, he is able to receive God’s love. God makes His love available to all who will choose to receive it. If man refuses to receive God’s love, God is greatly disappointed. Man has suffered eternal loss. But God, in His infinite wisdom has a plan that can reverse the terrible decision man made in rejecting God’s love. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to bear the consequence of man’s decision and suffer man’s loss. God’s plan enables man to repent of his dreadful decision. If man does repent = change his mind, confess his decision, and ask for God’s forgiveness, God will again make His love available. God’s perfect love will provide all He has intended for the object(s) of His love; the cycle of God’s love to man and the responding of man’s love joyfully returned to God. Man will not be a robot but will thankfully ask for and receive God’s will as his own. It will never again be, “Do I have to obey?” It will become and evermore be, “Thank You Father, for your guidance and your love. I want to always love you and be what You want me to be forever.”

Scriptures to Read

I John 4:7-12

I John 4:13-21

I John 1:5-10

I John 2:1-11

St. John 3:14-21

Romans 5:1-11

Romans 6:1-14