Words; Love
Illustration★★★★If you seed a lawn you’re doing something different than if you’re seeding a to- mato. Dusting the furniture means you’re taking dust away, while dusting your crops means you’re putting something on. Y ou can stone peaches, or you could stone your neighbor—two very different things. If a man cleaves to his wife, they’re together, but if he cleaves a block of wood, it’s split apart.
A company can weather a recession, but a fence that is weathered is in bad shape, not good shape. A lot depends on how you use a word. Think of “love. ” Y ou love ice cream, love your dog, love a special person; but what about love for God?
That’s different, surely, to your love for ice cream, or your love for your brother, or your love for Thanksgiving. What does love for God look like? Jesus calls for everything you’ve got. Of course, you grow in your commitment to Him.
But be sure to surrender everything to God. That’s what love looks like.
The point
Words have different meanings depending on context (stone, weather, cleave, etc.). Love for ice cream differs fundamentally from love for God, which requires complete surrender and commitment.