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This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:16-18, NIV)
I enjoy watching romantic comedy and love movies especially with my husband. Some men call them “Chick Flicks.” I love happy endings and when I watch a movie that ends with no happiness or love didn’t saved the day, I’m a little upset. I feel robbed! Someone once told me, “Girl, love movies are not real,” but I have to disagree.
One of the attributes that I adore about God (well, I adore them all!) but the one that constantly draws me closer to God is His amazing love. Through His love, God picks me up when I have fallen. When I’m having one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, His love brightens my day. Daily, He reminds me and shows me how much He loves me. I am amazed at the love God has for His creation. He loves unconditionally. He loves us when we won’t love Him back. He loves us when we don’t want to be love. He loves us when we fail. God loves the coldest, the cruelest, and the most hateful person. He loves the murderer, the homosexual, the drug addict, the prostitute, the drunk, the liar, the thief, and the cheater. He loves the sinner like you and me. He loves us! He loves like no one else can. God’s love is so amazing!
God’s love doesn’t reject us, but His love embraces us. His love chases after us and because God loves us so much and we love Him, we should love like Him by loving one another. In John 13:34, Jesus gave a new command, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” We are commanded to love others. Therefore, we must show love. We are to love those who feel unloved and unworthy. We show love to that mean boss, the co-worker who never smiles and who is always in a bad mood. We show love to the person who has wronged us. We are to love one another like Christ loves.
Our greatest example of love was displayed when God sent His son, Jesus, who suffered and died for our sins. As Christians, God wants us to display His great love toward one another (1 John 4:7-21).
HOW DO WE DEMONSTRATE LOVE?
Look past their faults. We can look past the person’s faults by remembering that we have faults of our own. We mess up. We sin, but God who is rich in mercy, has mercy on us. Having compassion on us, God looks past our faults and see our needs. In spite of our faults, in spite of our sins, God still loves us (Eph. 2:4). And He wants us to do the same. Our Father wants us to be sympathetic, compassionate toward each other. He wants us to love, in spite of.
Keep no record. Don’t keep a record or an account of how many times that person has wrong us or messed up. Love them anyway (1 Pet. 4:8). Christ doesn’t give us a limited amount of times He will forgive us. He doesn’t keep bringing up what we did the last time. Why? Because He has thrown our sins into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:18-19). He remembers our sins no more (Is. 43:25)! God’s love is forgiving, holds no record, and has no limits. We must forgive one another as He has forgiven us.
Imitate Christ. We can love others by imitating Christ. As we read God’s Word, we learn about Him and His powerful love. Paul instructs the Ephesians to watch God, observe Him, paying close attention to how He loves (Eph. 5:1-2). If we’re going to imitate Christ and love like He does, we must read His Word, meditating on His truths. The more we read and meditate on the Scriptures, we’ll begin to think like Him – act like Him and talk like Him. Through His Word, we see what real love is and what real love does. Love forgives. Love shows mercy. Love holds no record of wrongdoing. Love cleanses. Love loves. As we observe God, learn of Him, we’ll be able to love like Him.
It’s Friday! Let the LOVE weekend begin! Sisters, here’s a principle we can meditate on as we celebrate LOVE. God demonstrated His magnificent love for us through Jesus Christ while we were sinners (Rom. 5:8). As Believers, we must take every opportunity to demonstrate that same love to others.
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