When I was old enough to realize that I needed to apply God's Word to my life, I found a Scriptural mandate I couldn't consistently follow. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4: 7-8) Believing that God doesn't require anything we're incapable of, I was very troubled by this. I dearly loved my family and friends, but there were some people I just couldn't love!
Some years later I read a little book by Ney Bailey called Faith Is Not a Feeling. It was very helpful to me, but probably the greatest help to me came with the realization that love, too, is not a feeling. The love God requires is active!!
Love is an unselfish, benevolent concern for others. To love God supremely and others unselfishly are the two most important commands of Jesus.
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22: 37-40)
Christ's sacrificial death was the supreme expression of love.
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love. (John 13: 1)
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15: 13)
God is a loving God. This attribute caused Him to give Himself for me, even to the laying down of His own life. This love is not based on my worth, my response to Him, or any merit of my own. As I was preparing this devotional, I looked up Jeremiah 31:3 to read: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. In the margin of my Bible I had written this one word: undeserved!!
As believers, our response to God's love is to love- first God, and then others. And we can do it, by His grace. We demonstrate love; we practice love by serving. Feelings are not required; but, often, we find that these feelings are the reward following our obedience!! Thank you, Father, for loving me before I ever even knew I needed You. Thank you for loving others through me!
2 comments:
If we ever feel we are on the right track spiritually, all it takes to put things in perspective is to think about this attribute and our lack! The Scripture you quoted from, I John 4:7-8 never fails to convict me and remind me of how reliant I have to be upon the Lord! Apart from Him I can do nothing - especially love.
I love your last paragraph....only by His grace can we love Him and others.
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