True Love … Serves

Introduction:

You may have heard the saying, “True love waits.” While this is true, it falls far short of all that exemplifies true love.

You see true love is concerned with its object. True love isn’t out to get something from its object; rather, true love seeks to give of itself to its object. The goal of true love isn’t what it can get, but rather, what it can give.

Serving In Love:

The best exemplar of this is Jesus. His love did not impel Him to come and get what He could out of those He loved. His love impelled Him to come and give.

He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to give His life. He did not come to see what He could get out of us.

In Ephesians 5, Paul says, “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” (Eph. 5:25, NET). And how did Christ love the church? How did He give Himself for the church? He laid down His life. Paul is telling Husbands to do the same for their Wives.

But this is really what love is all about. The man who ‘loves’ his girlfriend, but is really just wants her body, doesn’t really love her.

Suppose a man is in a relationship with a woman. What if it were better for her if he let her go? I mean truly better. Is he willing to give her up for her good? Or will he try to hold onto her because of what he is getting from her?

You see, if he is only concerned with himself, he won’t let her go, even though it is best for her. In this, he isn’t loving her.

Of course, none of us is perfectly selfless. We all have selfish moments. But true love is not selfish. (See 1 Cor. 13:4-7.)

Conclusion:

True love isn’t self-seeking and selfish. So, in loving, we need to serve others. And in serving, we will in turn be served.