Love is tricky. Love is not always how we want it to be or feel. Love often comes with conditions.
EXCEPT…when it’s the love of our Father.
His love is unlike any other. It goes against all norms and cannot compete with any earthly love we experience. His love is not tricky, it’s always present, never disappoints, completely satisfies and is given to us with absolutely no conditions at all.
“God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.” -1 John 4:16b
Love We Need
When was the last time you felt completely loved? Have you ever felt that way? Even with the healthiest of relationships (romantic, friendship or any kind), we will never be completely filled. No person or the love they give us on earth, can ever give us the satisfaction and contentment that God’s love does. His is the only all-consuming, perfect love we are offered. And the best part is, it is given to us freely. It’s not about what we’ve done, but what He has done for us.
“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” -1 John 4:10
Even though we receive God’s love for free, we need to remember what it cost Him. God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son to take away the punishment for our sins. That’s a gift we can never thank Him enough for. That, my friends, is also a perfect example of love without conditions, strings or disappointment. It’s a sacrificial love that can never be duplicated by anyone or anything else.
Love Like His
God, as our perfect example, shows us how and why we should love. Love was displayed to us the moment the earth was formed and man was created. All of creation was made with the Lord’s creative and masterful hands and reveals the beauty of His love. I think of the song from Hillsong that says, “I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made. Every burning star. A signal fire of grace. If creation still obeys You so will I.” (So Will I (100 Billion X) – Hillsong United)
Just meditate on the fact that our Father created the whole Universe and everything in it. His love is displayed through our very nature and existence. He calls us His “sons and daughters” and loves us intimately. He knows our heart and every piece of us. There’s nothing we can hide from Him, and no obstacles He can’t help us overcome.
When it comes to us loving others, God is very simple and direct. He tells us throughout scripture that we should follow His lead and love in the way He loves us. He sees past our sins and shame and loves us perfectly, so how could we not love each other?
“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.” -1 John 4:19-21
It’s simple: We love others because God loves us. We’re sinners and very imperfect beings, yet God loves us wholeheartedly. He forgives us for our wrongs and lifts us back up when we’re down. Let’s extend that same grace and kindness to others. We’re never too big or too important to love someone. We’re all God’s creation, and all made with the same amount of love.
Love in Motion
It’s not enough for us to say we love one another. We must put our words to action and love others in what we do. With our capable hands, we should extend them out to the poor and needy. God helps provide for us and we should return the favor by providing for others (with what we can). He loves us with forgiveness and grace. We also should forgive and extend grace to others. It reveals a love that is unusual, and sadly uncommon in our culture today.
Jesus gave a listening ear to those who needed someone to hear them. He gave in abundance, even from the little that he had. He taught, healed, forgave, led, instructed and comforted those around Him. There were no guidelines people had to meet or conditions for the love He gave. His love just poured out naturally and beautifully. I so desperately want to emulate that in my own life.
If we want to experience love fully and give love freely, we must first fill ourselves with the joy of the Lord. Jesus was joyful through all of His circumstances. He went through trials that most of us will never even come close to experiencing, and He still had a heart filled with joy. Loving people with actions is not an easy task, but we can ask God to give us joy and determination to love like Him.
Love Starts Here
If we want the world to be a better place, we have to start with love. We must look past differences, everything that offends us, bitterness, jealousy and any other obstacle keeping us from loving relentlessly. Let’s tear down the walls in front of us and not be afraid to step out and extend love. We may look “different” or feel isolated and rejected, but God will give us the strength to endure.
We can’t control or change how others show love, but we can pray for them and ask God to mold their heart to be like His. Most importantly, we can monitor and alter how we choose to express love. When we have courage to show the love of Jesus to others, we can make a lasting impact. Showing the love of God helps others see and experience that love in their own lives. Even if it’s just a slight glimmer, it’s enough to take root in them.
God equips us with a heart that receives and gives His love. Our part is to trust in Him and ask Him to lead us through it. We’ll stumble occasionally and fail to love like Jesus, but luckily we receive His grace and have a chance to improve and start over each day. Let’s not waste the gift of our Father’s love. Instead, let’s share it with everyone in our path and explode with His light.
Friends, thanks for stopping by and taking time to read this post! I hope you were able to take something away from it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments below. If you enjoyed this one, please feel free to share it as well.
I’m grateful for you and LOVE you all. 🙂
Jon
Great post!