Love & Courage: The Unexpected Connection

I find it interesting that God commands husbands to love their wives.  Why would such an instruction be necessary?  Because it is not a given that husbands will be loving.  Husbands are not told to simply love their wives, but to follow the model set by Christ in doing so.  If we are to follow His model we must know how He loved.

If we were to choose one word to answer the question, "In what way did Christ love the church?" a fitting selection would be sacrifice.  Throughout the Bible there are images which are communicated, indicating that Jesus was offered up as a sacrificial lamb for the sin of people.  It was love that motivated these actions.  The reality is that love and sacrifice always go together.  The "love chapter" as it is known, says this: "Love suffers long...does not seeks its own...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  Love is costly.  Love will require you to sacrifice things that are valuable, for the sake of others.  Now consider what Jesus faced as he looked out on lost humanity.  The most critical need facing mankind was that which was caused by sin.  Man was lost.  Jesus could have healed all their diseases, filled all their empty bellies, and calmed all their storms, and still He would have done nothing to meet the most pressing need of the people.  To meet that need would require sacrifice.  Meeting the most pressing needs in the lives of those closest to you will require the same.  When a man chooses to love, he is committing himself to a life of sacrifice, and that type of commitment requires courage.

Love takes courage.  It will call you to correct your kids.  Love will call you to step out and tell someone of Jesus.  Love will call you to initiate a difficult conversation.  Love will call you to initiate reconciliation.  Love is not for the faint of heart, that is why so few actually embrace its call. - L.A.