Powerful people walk in God’s Super Love. Weak people walk in selfish love.
God’s Super Love travels faster than a speeding bullet…it’s more powerful than a locomotive…it’s able to leap over the tallest walls of fear and hurt…
Super Love has x-ray vision, able to penetrate the darkest and coldest of hearts.
Powerful people have taken off their powerless self-seeking, self-protecting, excuse-making, wounded version of love and put on God’s Super Love.
Powerful people are not of this earth. Their “home world” is in heaven (Phil.3:20); they currently reside in a heavenly city (Heb.12:22) even though they walk on the earth. And they were given their Super Love powers when they were “born from above.”
Here’s the way Paul tried to describe Super Love (bold-text added for emphasis)…
“And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:19)
Let’s look at four words here…
know = Greek: γινώσκω (ginōskō) = “to perceive, whether the action be inceptive or complete and settled.
love = Greek: ἀγάπη (agapē): “generosity, kindly concern, devotedness”
surpasses = Greek: ὑπερβάλλω (hyperballō): “to cast or throw beyond, to overshoot, excel.”
fullness = Greek: πλήρωμα (plērōma) = “that which fills up; full measure, entire content.”
So, what is Paul’s prayer? Here’s my loose paraphrase…
That we may rest completely and walk in a settled way in the generosity, kindly concern and devotedness of Christ toward us that shoots out far beyond anything we can actually comprehend. And as we grasp this reality, understanding that we are filled up with the full measure and entire content of God!
Weakling, earthbound “Clark Kent” types are no longer “mere humans” (1 Cor.3:3) when they “put on” God’s Super Love (Col.3:14).
They are not held down by the “gravity” of sin and death, overcoming it by the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom.8:2), soaring high in heavenly places (Eph.2:6).
They do great exploits–loving the unlovable, rescuing the rejected and outcast, healing the most wounded hearts and setting them free with Super Love.
And the only “Kryptonite” known to work against them is their own unbelief.
Super Love is powerful because it chooses to love. It’s not based on whether the object of its affection is worthy or deserving of it.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16)
Super Love even pours out love on its enemies and gives everything for them, regardless of their response…
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom.5:8)
So what does it look like when powerful people walk in God’s Super Love?
They arbitrarily choose to love others. Their love surpasses human understanding and doesn’t change with circumstances.
Their behavior is never dependent on how other people respond to them (or don’t respond to them).
They never blame others, they never try to “win the argument.” Rather, they seek to understand so that intimacy and connectedness can grow.
“Look! Up in the sky!” “It’s a bird!” “It’s a plane!” “It’s Super Love!”.. Yes, it’s Super Love…coming from strange visitors who walk the Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Who have Super Love flowing out of them like a mighty river, who can bend the the most steely hardened hearts, and who, disguised as mild-mannered reporters, professionals, common laborers, and all walks of life, fight a never-ending battle for truth, justice, proclaiming that Jesus is the Way!
(Taken from original “Adventures of Superman.” Click here for video clip…)
In My Father's House 
Very well said, and unfortunately rare in this world. I rarely run into a person who easily forgives and/or loves their enemies. A lot of people feel others must prove they are worthy before they treat them with love. If more people loved everyone, regardless, the world would be a much better place.
It is very rare because it’s not a human love; it’s only found in God’s love in Christ. Our natural love is always conditional and self-serving. And even most Christians aren’t walking according to the Spirit, but live according to their own self-interests. But this same “Super Love” gives grace for our own shortcomings and that of others. Heidi Baker is a very notable exception and high-profile example of someone truly “compelled by love” (2 Cor.5:14). Nonetheless, this is exactly the love available to us when we put off our powerless, self-centered love and put on Christ’s love living in us. Then we will begin to see it manifest in our experience. And, yes, this is exactly what the world needs!
“Their behavior is never dependent on how other people respond to them.” Yes! Lovely post.
Thanks. This is actually a critical key to healthy relationships, whether friendships or marriage. My wife and I have counseled with hundreds of couples over the years and we tell them if they would learn this one thing, their relationship would automatically be 100% better. We learned this the hard way, thank you very much! 🙂
What most people do is wait for the other person’s response before they will do what’s right, then they wonder why their relationship isn’t working! Aren’t we glad God doesn’t love us this way! Unconditional love means love without conditions. But once one of them arbitrarily decides to do what is right, regardless of what the other person does, their relationship suddenly gets better. This is what a truly powerful person does. As Danny Silk would say, they don’t need someone else to manage their behavior. Blessings.
Mel, I get your underlying message here. God is absolutely the power and wisdom behind the love (and grace) that we are able to give to others. May I ask two questions?
1) I’m having a little difficulty with your statement that people walking in God’s love arbitrarily choose to love others. I would have said that they intentionally choose to love others. Would you say more about this, please?
2) Your analogy of weaklings vs. powerful caused me to tilt my head. While it’s true that we derive our strength, wisdom, and freedom from Christ, the basic truth is we are all those weaklings without the saving grace of God. If it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit in us, we might choose tol back on our weakness. That’s what you’re saying, right?
Thanks…I may be just having a “senior moment” kinda day.
Thanks for your questions, Susan. It gives me a chance to clarify any confusion, but I think you basically answered them both yourself. 🙂
1.) Arbitrary means “to be subject to individual will or judgment without restriction.” I could also say it’s a unilateral decision to love, if need be. In other words, it’s never based on what the other person will do. This is how God loves. Of course, “choose” and “intentional” can mean the same thing here.
2.) I am defining “powerful” as someone who chooses to walk in the power of God’s love, not their own human limitations. So it is God’s love but still we must choose to exercise our will to walk in it (“put on”), which is how we walk in the Spirit. The truth is, a born-again Christian has 100% of this ability living in him or her right now. Nothing is holding it back except us. So it’s totally up to us to be “powerful” or “powerless.”
Of course, we are weaklings without Christ, but we’re not without Him anymore. So, we have the option of choosing to walk in His strength instead of our weakness 24/7.
Hope this helps clarify. If it’s still confusing, I will clarify further. Blessings.
Thanks, Mel. Got some vertigo going on; just making sure the fog in my head was due to that, nothing else. 😉
Mel, I really appreciated this post. Life looks like nothing I ever expected it to right now. Six people – one family with three children, and a guy in the middle of a messy operation – are staying with us. Our assignment is to love them.
I’m camped on Romans 5:5, and often remind the Lord that if He’s put all that love in me, He’d best bring it out of reserve. Otherwise, I’m gonna lose it! Every time, He does! Within the hour, I’m back on an even keel and all is well.
This is an interesting test, to be sure! The Lord used your words to encourage me that we’re doing well. Thank you so much. 🙂
(This is not by way of a boast, no one is more surprised than me at the level of peace we are experiencing. That is ALL GOD! Last time someone came to stay with us, I couldn’t wait for them to leave again. They were messing up *my* ‘all-important’ schedule. 😦 )
\\o/
Wow! You ARE being wonderfully tested. But it sounds like Christ’s love is oozing out of you. Great example of being “powerful” in Christ. 🙂
Totally understand about how we fail our assignment when our heart isn’t right–we all have “powerless” moments, even seasons. But the same grace coming out of us is also for us in the same supply. Many blessings to you and much more of God’s love and grace flowing into you as you give it away. Thanks for sharing this and for your encouragement. Always appreciated.
Very empowering reminded. Less of me and more of God. His love is powerful, my love is conditional
Thanks. Good to hear from you again. Hope all is well. Blessings.
Reblogged this on A JOURNEY OF FAITH and commented:
Powerful picture of Gods powerful love within each one of us … And I found it very encouraging, so wanted to “share the love” so to speak.
Enjoy 🙂