Love One Another, as I Have Loved You
John 13:34-35 ~ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
How easy is it for you to obey what the Word of God calls one of the greatest commandments – to love your brother as you love yourself? What exactly is love? Is it a feeling or an intense emotion? Attempting to define love has become an endless search for thoughts and words. As most have experienced, loving others is almost always negotiable.
We offer it to others if there is a guaranteed return on our investment. We may even take the risk if there are promises attached that can later be claimed. Whatever the motivation, most relationships are entered into with the expectation of receiving something back. However, there is a love that supersedes anything we have understood here in the natural. It asks nothing of us; only that we believe, which then directs how we live.
I am speaking of the love of God; a love that has neither beginning nor end. It is unconditional and was poured out on us before we ever knew His name. It is irrevocable and almost unfathomable. It reached down into the depths of darkness and pulled us out into His marvelous light. When we are afraid, love comforts. When in danger, love protects. When we bear the weight of our own transgressions, love covers and forgives. Though we each stood in the certainty of eternal separation from the Father, love redeemed and restored.
While we, at times, try to forcefully extract it from others, it is really His love that we all long for; the only one that truly satisfies. It continues to give never seeking its own. It is long-suffering and endures forever, seeing only Jesus as it looks into the flaws of our humanity. This very love is the same love that God intended for us to share with one another. What we often miss is that, in order to fulfill this command, we must first receive it from Him into our hearts by faith.
As you journey through this life, allow God’s love to pierce your heart. Only then can it flow freely through yours, directly to the hearts of all whom He intentionally sends your way. Discernment from Him will help you clarify divinely-appointed relationships that you may otherwise have thought to be mere casual acquaintances.
The authentic love of the Father imparted to others reveals the essence of who He is, and this is far superior to the residue of who we are apart from Him. We must be about our Father’s business without delay. This world is desperately waiting for His amazing love to become visible to them.
Post taken from my book: “Exploring the Matter of True Worship: Living as Sacrifices Unto God” available for purchase on Amazon.com. Click the link below:
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Matter-True-Worship-Sacrifices/dp/