An Uncommon Love
I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare.
Philippians 2:20
Among his companions, Timothy’s devotion to the Philippians stood out for Paul. Paul had many dedicated companions — never enough, of course, but many. But Timothy was special, not in his talent, or in his character, or in his steadfastness alone, but in his love. God had somehow welded Timothy’s heart to the believing family at Philippi and though he had served elsewhere as well — for many years in Ephesus — his first love among churches seemed to be with the Philippians.
This is the common work of God in all our lives, that though we are to love everyone, though everyone is loved by God, though every church is important to God and worthy of our service, there always seems to be someone or some ones who are special to our hearts. For the sake of Christ we love everyone, but in our own hearts some we hold dearer. This divine caprice is of God, I am convinced, if for the simple reason that love cannot be expressed as a mere theory or as a philosophical exercise — it must be expressed in real life here, to individuals, and families, and communities. Even our Lord, whose love embraced the whole world, had His special friendships — Peter, James, and John, as well as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
Everyone on earth needs to be loved, and God will lead us, if we allow Him to, to love people as His representatives in this fallen world. We are His ambassadors and His love compels us to reach out to all, yet there must be names and faces and churches and communities. In 2 Corinthians 5–6 where the apostle wrote of the compelling love of Christ and his ambassadorship of that love, he also wrote a personal note, “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and have opened wide our hearts to you” (2 Cor. 6:11). Ambassadors go to certain places, to represent their king or government to a foreign power. Ambassadors have specific assignments, and even “Ambassadors-at-large” go to where they are directed to go.
Who has God put on your heart to love for Christ’s sake? He who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much (Luke 16:10), so be faithful in your love. Feel it with your heart, but express it with your hands and with your mouth and in whatever other ways are appropriate. We will not love the masses until we have loved someone. We cannot love God whom we have not seen if we have not learned to love our brother and sister whom we have seen (1 John 4:20). Let God lead you to love some one unselfishly for His sake. I believe He will do this in our hearts if we will let Him. Be His channel of divine love for another, and love them until they are broken by the power and greatness of the love of God for them — this is the great need in our human hearts today. One of the most profound things we can ever say to God is to express our gratitude for the people who loved us with God’s love until they broke us, and God could remake us. Aspire to be that person for someone else and you will be God’s instrument to bring eternity into this finite world.
