When Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Agape: When Actions Speak Louder Than WordsSome time ago, I came to realize that agape love is not defined by abstract terms, but by real, human activities such as suffering, behaving, rejoicing, bearing, believing, hoping and enduring, all mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. And we are called to demonstrate our understanding of it not so much by our words, but rather by our actions. Over 40 years ago, the speaker at our wedding ceremony used another action word to define love when he said, “Love is giving.” His profoundly simple expression was echoed recently in a well-known line from a popular Michael W. Smith song: “Love isn’t love until you give it away.” Words like “giving” not only help us to better understand agape love, but also to practice it. We all know what “giving” means. God didn’t just tell us how much He loved us, He actually demonstrated it: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (Jn. 3:16). Now that’s giving! J. G. Deck’s best-known hymn begins, “Jesus, that name is love.” To help us see what he had in mind, H. A. Ironside suggested replacing the word “love” with the word “Jesus” as we read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. And if we want to see love in action, we should focus on Christ as we read the Gospels. To express love more fully in our own life, we need to practice daily this astounding positional reality: “Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). I’ve heard Colossians 3:12-14 referred to as the uniform we wear to let others know whom we serve: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive ...” If this is the case, I’d suggest ours be a “work” rather than a “dress” uniform, to be worn daily, not just on special occasions. And we should always remember that, according to God’s Word, the piece that ties this uniform “all together in perfect unity” is “love” (Col. 3:14). By Larry Ondrejack