“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge. And every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9-11).
It is important we understand that love, which proceeds from God’s nature, can be skilfully trained and grown to maturity. As we receive God’s love, we nurture it, by carefully assimilating its content and diligently growing its value.
Real love requires growth to extensively impact its value to many. This is why Apostle Paul prayed God to make the love of brethren increase and overflow for each other thus he said: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else just as ours does for you” (1 Thess. 3:12).
The Apostle restated his appeal in a more intense language in his second letter to the Thessalonian brethren by praying thus: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love everyone of you has for each other is increasing” (2 Thess. 1:3). Love is, therefore, nourished to growth by impartation of godly knowledge.
In the above sense, knowledge defines direction of whom to love, how to love, when to love and the right object of love. Though we are enjoined to love all people, our love must be rightfully applied. When we love the right people, we receive the right response and blessing from God. Loving the right people in a right way elicits right understanding of who we are.
How then do we love? We must love sacrificially. In this case, we must share God’s love with utmost consideration of how to please the fellows we love in all godliness.
Love is not selfish; instead love delights itself in giving the best in our possession. This was demonstrated by God when He gave us His only Son, Jesus.
When do we love? Is love programmed to time and season? Definitely no. Love is an all times and seasons affair. Its application in daily life is a necessary element required for healthy and joyful living.
However, love can be distinctively celebrated in selected times and seasons. That is always symbolically done to show us how to love daily and always. Our emphasis is the pure, agape and divine love of God transcendent from the realm of the supernatural.
In what ways do we train, nurture, and grow love? The scripture enjoins us thus: “For this reason (for reason of your love), since the day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding”
Col. 1:9. (1) Love therefore grows by deeper understanding of the embed principles. This can be rightly seen in 1 Cor.13:1-13. (2) Love grows by insight too. This means comprehending the intent and purpose of love as we express it towards our beloved ones. Here, practical discernment and sensitivity of the value of love is very important. By discernment, we mean appreciating the quality of love. Christian love is not sentimentally expressed. Its expression flows outright from understanding.
When love is tested and proved genuine in all godliness, then the admonition of Apostle Paul for “brotherly love to continue” (Heb. 13:1), becomes obvious. Meeting up the above standard of love makes love a trustworthy affair, a reliable virtue, an appealing endeavour and an open institution which must be openly expressed, without playing hide and seek. Love must be shared.
