Knowing What Is Important In Life

Love does win but not in the way many people in our society think and not by what they call love. The love that defines all love is Yahweh. Any other definition falls short of his glory and lacks the power to do anything but look good. The love accepted in this world goes no deeper than the flesh, is easily offended and quickly fades. The love of Yahweh is sacrificial at its core.

In a few of his letters to the Church Paul stated that he was praying for them to receive a deeper revelation of this love. To the Philippians he wrote:

This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. (1:9)

Love is not something that is suppose to be quickly understood and allowed to grow stale. It is such a huge subject that it takes a lifetime or longer to even begin to comprehend. The little ugly thing we call love can't compare to the surpassing glory of Yahweh's love. We should be pressing in to him every day to step deeper in the revelation of this love.

Now, Paul didn't pray this just for the sake of poetry or looking good. There is purpose in discovering the depth of this love:

I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. (1:10)

So an increasing revelation of true love, Yahweh's love, sacrificial love, enables the discernment of what is really important in life. Isn't that what we want, to understand what is important to hold on to and what to let go of; of what we should put our energy into and what doesn't deserve our attention? Is it really about riches, fame and comfort or is there greater purpose? Could love really be the key to understanding? The Bible says yes but it also says it is important for more than just life on this earth.

Paul says that a growing revelation of Yahweh's love will help us be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. He is not saying that works will save us but understanding this love will cause us to never doubt it. We will not fear the things of this world, we will not fall apart when things are removed from us and our priorities will keep us living as Jesus lived, for his glory, because of our increasing revelation of his love. Without a growing revelation of this love we will tend to drift back to what we want. And what we want will always be focused on us and will lead us right back into rebellion. We will do what we think is right instead of what Yahweh's love defines as being right.

So yes indeed, may our love become more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight.