“Dr. Dixie, Jesus said His disciples will be known by love, but that doesn’t seem tangible to me. I’ve heard the words all my life. How do I MAKE IT REAL?” Love is a language most clearly spoken by actions. But the Christian “love language” we’ve heard, said or memorized is not automatically accompanied by the actions needed to make it visible and real to others. Learning to show love through behavior is like learning an additional language.
I read a medical account of a man named John, who lost his sight before his second birthday. At age 40, a corneal implant partially restored his vision, so he could see objects he had only heard about. While he was excited about his ability to see, John’s new vision caused confusion as he began the difficult task of attaching the words he knew by sound—i.e.: “dog”—to the object he could now see. Because he had never known the “language” of sight, he spent many months of hard work making the connection between sound and sight. He had to learn to see the words he had heard for many years.
Normal sight and hearing link the word “dog” with the tangible object at such a young age, we aren’t consciously aware of making the connection. We might wrongly assume that as soon as John could see the object or hear the sound, he would automatically say the right word. But that association between sound and object has to be learned and learned correctly. There are many synonyms for dog—some vulgar; some like “cur” can carry a meaning that has nothing to do with dogs at all! If John learns only slang, his ability to understand and communicate will be greatly hindered.
Christians often wrongly assume that as soon as we are born into God’s family and learn the spoken language of love, we will automatically make it visible to others. Buttheactivelanguageoflove—connecting the words with behavior—isn’t automatic; it has to be learned, and learned correctly. Our churchy “slang” about God often greatly hinders our ability to understand and communicate the Truth.
Just as John had to learn to recognize the sound “dog” as a literal object with a clearly defined shape, Christians have to learn that the word “love” takes on specific, literal forms. The spoken love of God for us became visible as a real baby who grew up to live a real earthly life. As an adult, Jesus died on a touchable cross, and burst out of a real tomb, pushing aside a tangible, heavy stone. (Romans 5:8-10) “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us…” Jesus clearly stated that our love for others identifies us as His disciples (John 13:35). When we have received God’s love through salvation, Romans 12:9-20, Romans 13:10 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 give us practical ways to make that love visible and tangible to others: Be affectionate to family, and faithful in your marriage Be diligent: get to work on time, and work hard, even when no one is watching.
Be patient when life is tough; never stop praying. Share what you have when you see a need. Be hospitable; rejoice with the joyful, and empathize with those who hurt.
Be kind to those who are rude to you. Stop insisting that you’re always right. Don’t try to get even with those who hurt you. God says He will take care of it.
Be gracious to your neighbors. Refuse boastful, envious, impatient behavior. Choose not to be offended, and stop keeping a record of wrongs.
This is visible love that matches the words God speaks.
Infinite Grace Ministries teaches about the Infinite Grace, love and mercy of God. Call 580-774-2884 for more information on classes and personal appointments.
