God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.1 John 4:161 John 4:16
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
16 and are sure that God loves us. God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us.
WP-Bible pluginb-17a, 20-21
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:11 Corinthians 13:1
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Love 13 1 What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
WP-Bible plugin
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.
Ephesians 5:1-2Ephesians 5:1-2
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
5 1 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 ; . Let love be your guide. Christ loved us j us: Some manuscripts have “you.” and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
WP-Bible plugina
The Bible is replete with verses that talk about love. In fact, love is the central theme of the entire Bible!! The Bible is the chronicle of God’s ongoing, eternal love affair with mankind. God is in love with you!! God is in love with every human being walking the planet. And, as followers of Christ, we are called to be imitators of Christ, and that means we are also to love everyone. No exceptions.
Of course, some people are easier to love than others, but what depth is there to a love that really requires little to no effort? Real love, divine, Christ-like love is the kind of love that embraces the unlovable. True love is the kind that stares a difficult, stubborn, selfish, manipulative, lying, cheating, unfaithful, backstabbing, ungrateful, hateful person in the eyes and still conjures up compassion for them. That really is the kind of love that Jesus displayed to prostitutes, tax collectors, adulterers, and even Judas, the man who betrayed Him. That is also the kind of love we are to demonstrate.
Most everyone walks around with an inflated opinion of themselves, feeling pretty good about their behavior when compared to “those people.” But the truth is, all of us are sinners. All of us are the scum of the earth and we all deserve to be punished for our disobedience to God. None of us measures up to the standard of God’s holiness. But, despite that truth, God still demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son to the cross to take our punishment instead. We were and are the difficult, stubborn, selfish, manipulative, lying, cheating, unfaithful, back-stabbing, ungrateful, hateful people that God looked in the eyes and had compassion for. It wasn’t just the prostitutes and tax collectors and adulterers and Judas-es of the Bible that God died for. It was for every sinner who ever has or ever will live! And that certainly includes you and me.
God loves us when we are unlovable, and we are to show our gratitude for that kind of love by offering the same to others. This kind of love ALWAYS requires sacrifice. Ultimately it cost Jesus His life, and ultimately it will cost you yours as well. You will have to lay down your will and your agenda, your wants and desires and needs, in deference to those around you, so you can turn your focus from yourself to others. And, as those around you are obedient and do the same thing toward you, your needs will be met also. When we love, we are loved in return. When we’re selfish and egocentric, we find loneliness and isolation are our companions. The way to get love is to give it away!
God is love personified. I love that concept. God literally IS love. That is His nature, His character, His being. He is love walking, breathing, and acting. I want that to be my nature too. I want people to know that Jesus’ love is alive in me, and I want them to be recipients of that love through me! May we truly be known as Jesus’ disciples, His children, by our love for one another!
application
- When you think of yourself, do you feel like God should find it pretty easy to love you?
- Who in your life is not the easiest person to love?
- Who is God calling you to show His love to today?
prayer
Read anew this well-known prayer by St. Francis of Assisi, taking to heart the earnest sentiments expressed by this follower of Christ. Can you make this your prayer today?
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
0 Comments.