I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women. 2 Sam. 1:26
As Christian’s we talk a lot about Love. “God is Love,” “Love your neighbor as your self,” Love is patent, love is kind…” etc. Obviously this isn’t a coincidence. Love is the most important thing. But, what does it really look like? Love is a verb. It isn’t a feeling. Love is a way of life. It is choices we make to be compassionate, to put others before us. To serve.
Look how much Jonathan loved David. It those days, Jonathan would have naturally taken his place as king after Saul’s death. But from early on, he willingly conceded his throne to David. And he loved him anyway. He loved David so much, David considered his love “more wonderful than that of a woman.” David isn’t saying the bond they shared was superior to marital love, but because of Jonathan’s genuine commitment to David, David was overwhelmed and was trying to express that.
I don’t know if I could have done what Jonathan did. That kind of completely unselfish behavior is really what Love is – can I ever really get there? I was overwhelmed this weekend by some friends (who aren’t believers) who completely gave of themselves for the needs of a others. They didn’t have to be talked into it – they just did it. They loved! Can I do that? I so want to be able to.
God – Thank you for showing me Love. Help me to really Love. Amen
Jim (jmitch1)
Sixty-six books in a year 