Where Is The Love?

The title of this song has been on my mind for days as I have pondered and thought about events which have transpired lately.
I am sad,angry,frustrated,hurt for others, and a host of other feelings I find myself sorting through.
In the midst of this,I keep coming back to one central question...where is the love?!
Recently,someone told another they loved them,and what I felt was almost what I'd describe as a holy rage.What had been done was NOT love.
As a result,I've been on a quest as of late.
What does God say love is? What does it look like? What is it not?

The first example,we all know...
Jn. 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Now that's love! Who of us would give our child for others to live?
So clearly,love is sacrifice.
Sacrifice of our time.
Sacrifice of our wants and desires.
Sacrifice of our ego.
Sacrifice for our agenda for the benefit of others.

1 Co.13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Do we strive to love one another like that?

Prov. 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions.

Jn. 15:12-13 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.Greater love has no one than this,that he lay down his life for his friend.

At the end of 1 Co. 8:1 it says , love edifies.

Rom. 12: 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another.

Ro. 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy.

Ro. 12: 14 Bless those who persecute you-that shows love.

Ro. 12: 17 Never pay back evil for evil-that demonstrates love.

Ro. 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor;

1 Pet. 1: 22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the bretheren, fervently love one another from the heart.
(fervent-burning,ardent,eager ; do we eagerly love one another?)

In Eph. 5: 19 We're told to speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs-that's a sign of love.

1 Thes. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another

There are countless other verses on the topic. I could write for the rest of my life on the examples God gave us on love.

The reason he instructed us to control our tongue,was out of love for others.
We should speak blessings over each other and encourage one another with our tongue out of love.
Love lays down our wants and desires to give of our time to those we're commanded to love.
Love does not degrade.
Love does not despise.
Love is not haughty.
Love seeks to teach and instruct someone so they can surpass the level we are at in our walk,to cause them to soar.
Love causes us to show honor to others.
Love causes us to esteem other more highly than our self so we don't fall into the trap of self-righteousness.
Love causes us to give food to those in need.
Love causes us to rejoice with others even if our own heart is aching.
Love causes us to grieve with a hurting soul.

Let us examine our motives in all we do and say . Are we doing everything as unto the Lord?
Oh! What a perspective to have.....would we degrade Him the way we do others?
Would we abuse Him?
Would we gossip about Him?
Would we try to beat Him up with His word?
Would we cast Him aside as if he didn't exist?
Would we swear at Him?
Would we treat Him in such a way He'd wish He'd never been born?
Would we snub Him?


And yet we do this very thing every day....
He said whatever you do to the least of these,you do unto Me...
and whatever you did not do for the least of these you did not to it to Me.
I know,He was referring to providing for people in need.
I also think it applies in this context as well though.
If we mistreat those who are His,we are doing it to Him.

Let us everyday work out our salvation in fear and trembling.
Let us examine ourselves and first seek out the log in our eye.
If we place out focus on cleaning our own house,we won't have time to point fingers and try to fix everyone else.
We will walk in love toward our neighbors,sisters and brothers in the Lord.