The Truth about Love

Today we are taught that love is a feeling, measured in extremes. Love is understood as affection or romance — and in order to be worth the investment, it should be maintained at an emotionally high level. In contrast, the Bible teaches that love is self-giving.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). To love biblically is to give of ourselves. Biblical love is centered more in the will than in our feelings, and it is more concerned about giving than receiving.

But biblical love cannot be self-manufactured. It is something that is poured out from what God has poured in. As Paul wrote in Romans, "God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us" (Romans 5:5). We are taught this love from God Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:9), and it is something in which we are to be unified (Philippians 2:2), and fervent about (1 Peter 4:8).

In 1 Corinthians, we find the remarkable attributes of biblical love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Biblical love is not easy to understand or to express faithfully, but it is always easy to identify. As we pray for self-sacrificing expressions of love, we will see transformation in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter. Love will then become something we seek to give — not something we merely seek to have. This will introduce us to new opportunities to express love and a willingness to engage with others.

Leading The Way strives to operate from this paradigm — that the love of Christ will be seen through our messages so that people around the world can be transformed. We will never know how many millions of people God has touched through Leading The Way. Many of these are imprisoned by hate and bitterness, searching for temporal love when God's love is what they really need. A listener in Turkey expressed it this way:

I was very surprised to hear what you said about fear on your program. You say fear comes not from God but from Satan. But we are always told to fear God — that if we don't do what he wants us to do, we are told that he will punish us. I understand that your religion's approach to Allah is very different than what I have learned about Allah. I would like to learn more about Christianity.

As God has poured His love into your heart, we want to thank you for pouring that same love into the ministry of Leading The Way so we can proclaim the Truth of God to the whole world. We eagerly anticipate the day when we will worship together before the throne of God with others "from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9). Until that day, Leading The Way plans to continue proclaiming the uncompromised Truth.

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Excerpted from My Journal, a monthly devotional magazine from Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.

Please register today for a free trial subscription of My Journal, a monthly publication featuring biblical teaching from Michael Youssef and weekly devotionals to encourage you in your personal Christian walk. You'll also enjoy ministry updates, testimonies from around the globe, our current broadcast schedules, and more!

For more information on the ministry of Leading The Way, please visit our web-site at www.leadingtheway.org.

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About Leading The Way

Along with partners committed to changing the world, Dr. Michael Youssef is leading the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ. By passionately proclaiming uncompromising Truth through print, web, television, and radio, this international team of experts is uniquely providing hope that is revolutionizing lives at home — and around the world.

What began as a small local radio ministry in 1988 has grown into an international ministry reaching millions for Christ — including a vast audience in the Muslim world seeking Truth in closed countries. Leading The Way's television and radio programs are broadcast in more than 28 languages to audiences across six continents. Leading The Way also produces DVDs, CDs, books, a monthly devotional magazine, solar-powered Navigators, and daily e-devotionals to spread the light of Christ. In 2009, the ministry launched its own 24/7 satellite TV channel, reaching the Muslim world with Gospel programming in English, Arabic, French, and Indonesian. Leading The Way utilizes field teams to evangelize and disciple viewers in closed countries and help persecuted Christians on the ground.

Dr. Youssef and the Leading The Way staff are committed to sharing the Gospel with the lost and equipping believers to grow into a deeper walk with Christ. Learn how you can partner with this unique ministry today.

About Dr. Michael Youssef

Michael Youssef, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the creative use of media and field ministry teams. His weekly television programs and daily radio programs are broadcast more than 13,000 times per week in multiple languages throughout the world. He is also the founding pastor of The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Youssef was born in Egypt and lived in Lebanon and Australia before coming to the United States. In 1984, he fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming an American citizen. Dr. Youssef holds degrees from Moore College in Sydney, Australia; Fuller Theological Seminary in California; and a Ph.D. in social anthropology from Emory University. He has authored more than 50 books, including popular titles Saving Christianity?, Hope for This Present Crisis, Life-Changing Prayers, and Never Give Up. He and his wife reside in Atlanta and have four grown children and 11 grandchildren.