Somebody to Love?

Love is the ultimate pop-culture icon.  The word and associated baggage are tramped around on a global stage, saturating music, movies, and all media.  In the English language, "love" is a word so generic that the meaning has been diluted and virtually lost.  "Love" has been reduced to the vague description of a feeling or a sexual act, a complete abandonment of the biblical description.  Forget God, sing musicians:  love is all you need.  But what is love without God?  What is our basis of love?  Is it really nothing more than a casual excitement of glands?  How does the world's idea of love differ from God's?

The Yardbirds sang long ago, "For your love I would give the stars above...For your love I would give you all I could."  It is hard for us to detach love from sex, something which stunts our concept of love greatly.  On one hand the Yardbirds were vying for physical intimacy, while at the same time petitioning for the affection and loyalty.  Is it honorable to offer a bribe for love, even as money is offered to a prostitute for services rendered?  How different from Christ is this offer!  Jesus did not offer things He could not give (though He owns the stars and calls them all by name!).  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Love sacrifices without guarantee.  Love is not contractual.  Real love is not, "You give me your love, and I will then give you diamond rings and things brought to your door."  Love is free and of grace.

Justin Bieber's hit "Somebody to Love" runs in a similar vein.  He pleads over and over again, "I just need somebody to love."  Playing on the natural desire on doting fans to BE loved, he tantalizingly portrays himself as one who longs to love - but hasn't found someone to lavish his love upon.  "I need somebody...I don't need nothing else, I promise girl, I swear, I just need somebody to love."  What rings hollow about this love is that it is an impersonal, false counterfeit.  Justin is looking for "somebody" - not you and definitely not me!  But will anyone do?  We are left uncertain.  Real love doesn't hold back for approval.  God's love is unlimited and infinite, not solely for "someone," but offered freely to all!  John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  Justin sings about needing somebody to love:  I wonder if he needs someone to love him?  Do you need someone to love you?

Queen's song sums up the feelings of many people, but misses the forest for the trees.  The first verse goes, "Can anybody find me somebody to love? Each morning I get up I die a little, can barely stand on my feet. Take a look in the mirror and cry, Lord what you're doing to me! I have spent all my years in believing you. But I just can't get no relief, Lord!  Somebody, somebody!  Can anybody find me somebody to love?" (punctuation mine)  The longing to love and be loved go hand in hand.  While Queen's focus is on the physical aspects of love, there is a clear ignorance of God's love!  Jesus is somebody to love who loves us with an everlasting love, and through lovingkindness has drawn us to Himself (Jer. 31:3)!  Man does not need more love than God can give.  God's love satisfies completely, surpassing the love of men and women.  All God has done is lavish His love upon unworthy, sinful, ignorant men like myself.  "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

God is not waiting to prove His love to us:  Jesus did that on the cross.  God is not waiting for us to accept His love before He offers it to us:  it has been offered already to all.  We cannot earn His favor, nor gain the worthiness to receive it through the bribes of "good works," because God's love is a gift to be received.  We can only reciprocate.  How does the Bible describe this active, sacrificial love?  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  Love never fails.  Unless you know Jesus Christ personally, you cannot comprehend this love.  You have never experienced it, and you cannot give it.  But you may have it!  If you will submit to receiving the love of God through repentance and faith in Christ, your life will then be marked by this transforming love.

Are you looking for somebody to love?  More importantly, are you willing to receive God's love through faith in Jesus Christ?  It is only through the power of God that we can love how we were designed and intended to.  1 John 3:16 states, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."  Instead of giving you stars, flowers, diamonds, God saw fit to shed His own blood for you (Acts 20:28).  That's real love, and it's really awesome!  Receive His love today!