Loving people is one of the most reckless things in the world. It has often been said that love is a choice. And it is. But for many of us, we use love as a weapon. It is something to be given and taken away at will, depending on the circumstances. Many people have learned to utilize love as a way to manipulate people. Love is like a reward for doing the “right” things. Love withheld can also be like a punishment for doing the “wrong” things. But here’s the thing: like Jesus we should love people just because we can. The Bible teaches that we are loved by God because God is love. It is God’s nature to be loving. Therefore, we receive love. Love is never earned or deserved when it comes to God. It is a free gift because at the essence of His nature, God is loving. And you and I are to be “chips off the ole block.” We should love people simply because we can. When someone is our enemy, we should love them because we can. When someone hurts us, we should love them because we can. When someone says mean things, we should love them because we can. You might be thinking, “How is this possible?” Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit in our lives is love. As we receive God’s pure love, we simply pass it along. As we experience God’s love without condition or measure, we simply act in kind in the world in which we live. The greatest of these is love. That’s what the apostle Paul said. So my friends, let us love not in word or tongue, but in deed and truth today!
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:28:53 +0000