Why Is Love Least Important?

Why is it that loving others seems to be the least important thing for christians when it is the most important thing to God. Unforgiveness is a BIG deal to God.

I read a book a long time ago by Charles Stanley but I can't remember the name of it, sorry. He mentioned ways to know you are holding onto unforgiveness like not wanting to pray for that person, not wanting to talk to them or say hello ect... That may be one of the reasons Jesus said to pray for your enemies because that is a real good way to know you have forgiven them and mean it at the same time.

I never have forgotten that. I read that book 15 years ago. I believe we should pray for our enemies not only for thier restoration but so you will know you yourself have also forgiven them. This is just one thing I have learned that I wanted to pass on :-) .

If you can shed a tear for the one who hates you than you know you have even greater love, not that you have to shed tears.

There are 442 verses in the bible with the word "LOVE". In 1 Corinthians it say the greatest of all is love but why is it the most neglected it seems?

It's not hard to love. I would say to love is the easiest thing for a chritian to do. Maybe christians don't love because it's too easy. Loving others is also time consuming. If you start loving others too much than these people you are loving take all your time and we don't want anyone taking up all our time for God.

Some people just pick and choose who they want to love. That's why we have "preachers kids". Everyone gets loved on by the preacher but the preachers kid. Why is that? Why do we do things like love others but not our own kids? Why not just love everyone who crosses our path?

Love seems to be something that is up in the air. You can either choose to do it or not. It's not necessarily something that you have to do.It's kind of like washing your car. :-(

1 Corinthians 13
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

From 1 John:

9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous

14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

v17...that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Why is it that loving others seems to be the least important thing for christians when it is the most important thing to God. Unforgiveness is a BIG deal to God.

I recently heard Zac Poonen say something to this effect....

if any man hate his brother he is a murderer and will go to hell no matter who the man is.

Let us examine ourselves, nobody is exempt from this statement. Not the prophet, or open air preacher, neither those who feed the homeless, those who post on Sermon Index or study revival history. Without love we have nothing.

In Christ - Jim

I think for christians to believe that love is unimportant may be one of if not THE greatest lie of all time.

One of the other greatest lies would be that we do not have to forgive others.

Could it be that the reason love is the most neglected is because it's the most important? I think so.

I remember when I read this book he said when you feel like you don't want to talk to a certain person, you begin not caring about a close relative or family member, you avoid "certain" people or you do not wish others well than you should stop, go to your prayer closet and don't come out till you can pray for them and mean it at the same time.

That's a good way to know you have the love of God in your heart. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Wrestle with it if it takes you all night long. If you have to take a day off from work, go on vacation, whatever you have to do. That's if you really have bitterness in your heart.

The best thing to do is nip it in the bud before it does consume you.

I so want to see this kind of love among christians. It seems most christians spend thier life like David. Your either rejected by your brothers ( in the case of David and Goliath), running for your life or having stones thrown at you.

"Charity suffereth long" 1Cor13:4

I prefer the word Charity over love, because the word love has been so abused today that it's difficult to define it. Charity sounds so much nicer in that it's a giving word.

"For God so loved the world that He gave".

What kind of love are we looking for among believers. Tolerance? Acceptance? Understanding? Leather Strap? What is it about love that we are looking for? Is it a feeling of worth? A leaning on one another? A wife? A husband? Children? A farm? Pets?

I wanted to add that if we have love, but have not been radically transformed in our inner man (or woman :0) then we also have nothing, but a false love.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

jimdied2sin wrote:
I wanted to add that if we have love, but have not been radically transformed in our inner man (or woman :0) then we also have nothing, but a false love.

Amen, I get what you are saying. We may have love but no more than the world has.

The love of God is TOTALLY different from the love of man in 1 Cor. 13. I can see how we can be easily decieved into thinking we have love when we really don't.

That message by Carter Conlon really stirred me up: "Beware of the Watchman." The lack of love he described is like hatred. I can see though where any of us could have that kind of lack of love to a degree if were not careful.

That's why this book really made such an impression on me. There are little inconsistencies that may be in our lives that show we have unforgiveness or a lack of love. When certain people come around how do we react or respond to them?

It can start out where it just burns a piece of paper.Pretty soon the shelves are burning down and the whole house is on fire!

The love of God is TOTALLY different from the love of man

Amen!

Sometimes we get this backwards though. That is why a lot of "false love" church members would call someone like a prophet Jeremiah a legalist, unloving, or angry... becaue they are thinking carnally and do not see the secret tears and intercession.

In Christ -Jim