Love Smart

“For it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Phil 1:9).

There are smart phones, smart TVs, smart watches and even smart cars. These amazing inventions are smart because they do a lot of the thinking for us. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to fire up Shazam to figure out who’s singing that song or have Siri tell me the nearest place to get a pizza. But these are just technological toys compared to the smart love Paul prays about. From behind bars in Rome, the apostle tells his friends back in Philippi that he’s continually asking God that they would love more and love smart. How ‘bout you? Are you looking to increase the level and efficiency of your love? I’ve checked online. There’s not an app for that. But there is a God who specializes in it. 

Our man Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in the Macedonian seaport of Philippi. He swung by the city several years ago as part of his tour taking the message of Jesus around the Mediterranean rim. Who can forget those crazy days in Macedonia? Dr. Luke sure can’t. The apostle’s personal physician and traveling partner wrote all about them in Acts 16:12-40. God used Paul and his team to shower His unconditional love on all sorts of folks. A fashionista named Lydia, a demon-possessed young lady caught in human trafficking, and a brutal prison warden all placed their trust in the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee. These are just three of the people who were on the receiving end of God’s love who are now on the receiving end of the apostle’s letter.

The man from Tarsus lets them know that they are the repeated focus of “my prayer” (v9). Paul spends this entire paragraph (Phil 1:2-11) telling the Philippians how he is praying for them. He thanks God for the memories of those wild times when he first rolled into town (Phil 1:3; Acts 16:12-40). They’ve remained teammates in grace ever since (Phil 1:4-8). Because of their shared experience in sharing and living out the Gospel, these Philippian believers have carved out a special place in Paul’s heart. Do you make a point of praying for folks you’re on mission with? Are their people God brought into your life in the past but are separated from now? Here’s an idea. Pray for them. Write down their names. Go to the Lord on their behalf regularly. And then let them know. How would you like a friend to let you know they’ve been praying for you? Yeah, that would be pretty awesome.

Their old friend says he prays that their “love may abound more and more” (v9). Is Paul simply asking God to amp up the warm fuzzy feeling these folks have in their hearts? That’s part of it, but it’s SO much more! He uses that wonderful Greek word agape. If you’ve spent any time growing up in Sunday School or going to a Christian youth camp, you’ve heart this word so much that it’s actually lost any real meaning. Agape describes unconditional love in action. It’s a love that does. A love that lasts. A love with legs. These Philippian Jesus followers are already world class when it comes to practical expressions of love. They’ve provided practical support for Paul during his time behind bars (Phil 4:14-20). But to paraphrase the boys from Spinal Tap, the apostle prays that God would take their love to 11.

He asks the Lord that their love increase and “abound more and more” (v9). Most English translations use “abound” to translate the Greek verb perisseuo. Maybe it’s just me, but that just doesn’t seem to scratch the surface on the original text. This paints a picture of an overflow (which both the NRS and NLT use). It’s the idea have way more than enough, to increase in abundance, or exceed lavishly. Paul’s not praying for just a little more love from his friends. He asks God to cut loose the Philippian fire hydrant of agape! And why not? In some of His final instructions before His crucifixion, our Savior told His boys that our priority is to love each other. It’s a sure sign to the world that we’re His followers (Jn 13:34-35). When lawyer tried to ask Him a trick question about what was the most important commandment to obey, Christ said it was simple (Mt 22:34-40). Love God. Love people. That’s the kind of love that Paul prays that God will crank up among God’s people. Love for God. Love for people.

The apostle doesn’t just pray for more love but smart love. He asks the Lord to not just jack up their love to new levels but that it happen “with knowledge and discernment” (v9). In other words, he’s not praying their love get more sappy but wise. Think of expressing God’s love in a directed and concentrated way. Like a fire hose. It’s focused. It’s pinpointed. Think laser love. A laser is simply a super-duper concentrated beam of light. Instead of Dr. Evil’s infamous Death Ray, Paul prays that God would transform us into a Love Laser. 

When it comes to smart love, God isn’t telling us to pick and choose WHOM we love. Remember, we’re to love God and we’re to love people. That pretty much covers everybody from what I can tell. It’s not about WHO but HOW. Paul asks God to give the Philippian believers the “knowledge and discernment” (v9) on how they should love others. Practical acts of love look different from person to person. Your spouse needs a separate sort of love than your buddy at work. Your child needs something different from one of your parents. Some need a hug. Some need money. Some need your time. Some need a meal. Some need help moving. Some need a ride. Some need bail. But they ALL need love. Let God’s Spirit give you the wisdom and discernment on how fire the Lord’s Love Laser.

Don’t think that the expiration date ran out on this love smart idea just because the apostle wrote these words 2,000 years ago. This is a timeless truth. Take a look around. God has placed folks in our lives to be recipients of His love through you and me. Your spouse. Your kids. Your neighbors. Your coworkers. The people that you meet when you’re walking down the street. Your love will look very different depending on the one on the receiving end. That’s what Jesus’ love looks like when it overflows through us and into the lives of those who come into our path. Smart phones are cool. Smart TVs are all the rage. But when comes to you and me, God calls us to smart love.