So This Is Love- Sacrificial, Giving, Powerful

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. —John 15:13

Wow. This kind of love certainly is amazing, and when I allow myself to really "survey that wondrous cross," I am overcome with what my Lord has done for me- the amazing love that He has shown for all of us. Sometimes I wonder who or what I would really "take a bullet" for. I mean, I've never been put to that test (thankfully), so how do I really really know?

But perhaps that's not the only measure of a love comparable to this one. We often read it as 'death,' but couldn't it also refer to the 'laying down one's life' as 'dedicating one's life' to his friends. ODB this morning reads, "Someone once said that “the measure of love is what one is willing to give up for it." And Jesus certainly did that. He gave his life to working with and teaching and healing, living with and among and loving the people that he came to eventually give up His life for. Lord, I want to learn this... Your greatest love... I want to lay my life down for you... and for all my brothers and sisters. Speak to me, Father. I listen for Your guidance... especially now as I consider the following year.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, ^b]">Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

To us a child is born! (I can almost hear the beautiful "Messiah" sopranos.) While Jesus gave His life in service and gave His life on the cross, God the Father gave up His only son. The joy of a child is something I have been thinking a bit about lately as the first new generation of O'Donnells is soon to be born. My friend Lindsey is also soon to have a baby, and I am praying for health for each of them. But thinking about this, I can only think that- to give up that joy... and to give that baby up into known harm and danger is unbelievable.

I know that my dad, like most I suppose, is extremely protective and defensive of his girl. If someone does something to upset or hurt him, well that's not good. But, if someone upsets or hurts me, it's ten times worse. Like any loving father, he has put my well-being before his own. In fact, that is what God the Father is doing. If we remember that we are all His children in a matter of speaking, then it makes sense... He is putting the well-being of His children before himself and His only 'begotten' son. Although we are just adopted into His family, He cares enough about our lives and our well-being that He gives up His son Jesus.

Lord, thank You for this love that You give me... defending me and protecting me from myself, looking out for my well being.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -Ephesians 3:17-19

This verse from Ephesians is so beautiful... and the part that I never really thought much about before is the section "may have power." The syntactic structure suggests that may have power is directly related to the fact that you are rooted and established in love. While I never thought much about the connectedness of those sentiments, I agree wholeheartedly. If we are rooted and established in love, then we have the power to understand Christ's love. It seems to me that this has powerful implications in evangelism. It suggests that without being rooted in love, you might not be able to "understand" this love, because it's not something that you can "understand" based on knowledge.