Ultimately I have to decide who I love the most. Right away that leads me to these two problems. First, I have to continue making the decision over and over again; in most cases on a decision by decision basis. Second, I have an inclination to love myself, over and above all others, which completely skews the decision making process.
Jesus comes in and does not dismiss my inclination to love self. Doesn’t he basically ask me to prioritize my love for myself?
The first thing he says I need to do is love God with everything. I need to love God fiercely. Only when my love for God is that strong can I break the tendency to make selfish decisions.
The second thing he says I need to do is to love others the way I love myself. So does this mean I have permission to love myself and think about myself and make decisions for myself? The expectation is that I will have the freedom (and the desire) to love others and think about others and make decisions that will benefit others.
Nice sounding theory. What about the application? How does the theory intersect and change my behavior?
5 Responses to “Who Do You Love?”
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November 2nd, 2006 at 10:44 am
This subject seems to be the “one” today on blogs I read. As I understand it, the point of Colossians is Christ in me. He is sufficient for everything … including my being able to love others. Problem is, when I try to love in and of myself, I will blow it every time. But when I allow Christ, who is Love, to live in / through me, then He loves effortlessly and I enjoy the fruit.
Just theory? When I preached through Colossians a few years ago, we saw an immediate change in the “spirit” of this church. I think the message of Colossians is transformational. Even to the point of being able to love the unlovable. How else do you think this church would continue to tolerate me?
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:39 am
Greg’s points are well taken.
Most of us “love” ourselves to the point that we’ll take care of ourselves, see to our needs, and put ourselves in positions to succeed in all facets of life. As Greg said, with Christ living through me I will take all of the things that I do for myself and do them for others to the point of putting my needs second.
November 3rd, 2006 at 12:07 am
No comment on this one. I’ve got way too far to go before getting this love thing worked out. I am glad though that I am loved. That helps me love more.
November 3rd, 2006 at 7:58 am
I’ll have to hang with Brady on this one………
November 3rd, 2006 at 8:08 am
I’m pretty sure it should be “Whom do you love?”
I think it is impossible to love others unless we love ourselves. If you don’t love yourself, the love you show to others is either not genuine love because you are trying to fill a void of worthlessness you feel about yourself or it is service/slavery because you assume the other person is better than you and therefore deserves your affection.
I’m on this big social trinity theory kick right now and am convinced that the restoration between man and God includes restoration between man and man as well. True community on earth isn’t experienced without relationships with other humans as well as a right relationship with God that holds it all together. Usually we look at our relationships with others as the indicator that this social trinity is out of alignment, but I believe you can say the same thing about the relationship you have with yourself.
The real factor, then, would be our ability to love God and others in proportion to the way we love ourselves. If I love myself more than God or others I’ve thrown things out of alignment. If, however, I love others as much as I love myself (no matter how much I love myself), there is still balance maintained in the relational network.
Sorry so long. Just my thoughts.