“ Those who are sensitive and appeal on the basis of love with a submissive spirit are the ones who make it to the finish line .“
barking out orders like some boot camp drill sergeant . He was asking , appealing , pleading , urging , encouraging Philemon . He was sensitive to the situation and submissive in his approach to bring reconciliation to the relationship .
In our own efforts to mend relationships , win friends , or influence others , the manner in which we make our appeal is of utmost importance . How do we go about winning others to our persuasion ? Some of us waste valuable time appealing to others strictly on the basis of reason . Others make their appeals on the basis of merit , who they are or where they may be coming from . Still others appeal on the basis of such things as tenure , seeking to convince others that they have earned the right to make their case because of their experience . Paul could have appealed to Philemon on the basis of each of these , but he instead chose love . And when he wrote that he was appealing on the basis of love , he chose the highest level of love , agape love , as he penned these words . This type of love is best defined as “ no matter what someone may do to you by insult or injury , you seek for them only their highest good .” This is God ’ s love . This is submissive love that seeks the other ’ s best interest . It is the win-win type of love .
This is the very type of love that epitomizes Jesus of Nazareth . He could have played win-lose with all of us . He could have ordered us to obey Him . He could pull our strings like a puppeteer to force us to fall in step and love Him . But what did He do ? What does He still do ? He appealed to us on the basis of love . In fact , in the Bible ’ s attempt to define Him , it simply says , “ God is love ” ( 1 John 4:16 ). When demonstrated in a win-win fashion , this type of love breaks down barriers and cements relationships . There can be no long-term , constructive , interpersonal relationships without being based on the appeal of love .
Think about it : Which motivates you and appeals to you the most — an order or an appeal ? Imagine a mother saying to her daughter , “ I am telling you right now to get your grades up . That is an order . You have no choice .” What real motivation do you think this type of order has on a young person ? How much better it is when parents make appeals based on love , resulting in winwin outcomes . How many homes have been lost because a husband or a wife played only the win-lose scenario in their relationships ? Those who are sensitive and appeal on the basis of love with a submissive spirit are the ones who make it to the finish line .
“ Those who are sensitive and appeal on the basis of love with a submissive spirit are the ones who make it to the finish line .“
Love has its own way of finding out what is right and doing it . Love is not a passive noun . It always is equated with action . Love is something we do ! “ For God so loved the world ” that He did something about it ; He “ gave His only begotten Son ” ( John 3:16 ). When , in our relationships , we submit to love , we end up doing what we ought to do much more quickly and completely than when someone seeks to coerce or command us
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