We have to learn to “think” love, not just emote it.
Love is intrinsically tied to wisdom; that is to say that in the absence of love, there can be no real wisdom, and vice versa. To say you understand love and yet remain ignorant of the Word of God is to base your conclusions on emotions alone, or personal experiences, which is just another way of saying you abide in existentialism (Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on the lived experience of the thinking, feeling, acting individual - Wikipedia). In other words, you seek to interpret God through your experiences rather than allowing the Word of God to interpret your experiences for you. This is the exact opposite of godly wisdom and therefore relegates the possibility of abiding in godly love an impossibility.
Solomon, King David’s son, sought wisdom above everything else.
“And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.
Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.”
Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.”
— 1 Kings 3:7-12
God gave Solomon the wisdom he asked for, and was pleased to do so. But the truly interesting thing about this passage in Holy Scripture is the first recorded test of said wisdom. Can you guess what it involved?
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.
"When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king. Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’”
And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.”
Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
"When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king. Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’”
And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.”
Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
— 1 Kings 3:16-28
When God gave Solomon great wisdom, He gave him an intimate understanding of love, itself. I’ll repeat what I wrote earlier: love is intrinsically tied to wisdom; that is to say that in the absence of love, there can be no real wisdom, and vice versa. King Solomon was able to take decisive action based on his wisdom regarding love. He understood true love, which, in this case, was revealed by its sacrificial nature. Solomon knew that the real mother of the living child would rather suffer extreme heartache than have her baby killed. The fact that the fake mother suggested the baby be cut in two is horrific, but it’s a fair depiction of the human flesh. Wisdom is able to discern between the two.
There are critical times in our lives when love must prevail, even when injustice is served up to us - wisdom tells us this.
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
— 1 Peter 3:17
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
— Galatians 6:9-10
Love is able to overcome all odds and bring glory to God, but it cannot be assumed in the absence of wisdom. Wisdom and love must always function together, as the Bible teaches us. We mustn’t expect to prevail if our only mode of understanding comes through a worldly, fleshly lens (consider the decision the fake mother made). Love is a beautiful thing, but it must be understood, otherwise it takes on an ungodly form to the detriment of its owner. Raw emotions are poor interpreters of love. Like King Solomon, we have to possess the appropriate wisdom in order to love the way Christ desires us to.
We must learn to think before we emote.
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
