Love-In His Word 7/28/14
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you,
you should love each
other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are
my disciples.”
John 13:34-35
There truly are so many
kinds of love. There is the unconditional love that Jesus has towards us that allowed
Him the strength to free us from our sins on the cross; no greater love is
there.
There is the love you have
when you see something you like, a new dress, shoes, a scenery; this one is
probably the lowest on the scale as we really mean we like it.
There is the love of a
brother for another brother, or sister for sister, that says “I will take a
bullet for you, and make soup for you when you are sick, and let you borrow my
car”. Of course with this love there are limits to our giving. Our human love
is not possibly as great as the love that God has towards His children, us.
Why does He give us such
great love? What are we to do about it?
1-
Love Him back.
Tell God right now that you love Him! Show Him it is real by being obedient to
His commands. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves to other believers,
go to a study or a church or something with other believers in Christ. This
will strengthen you, so you get a benefit an God sees you obeying! Study to
show yourselves approved rightly dividing the Word of truth. Know what God
wants from you, and obey it!
2-
Love one
another. Sometimes it is not easy to love one another because we get caught up
in the cares of this world, but when we put aside our different doctrinal
things, and such and stop arguing then we can do what He wants and love one
another. (wind and waveof dotrine) To truly love one another we must spend time
getting to know one another, share things with one another, both feelings and
even goods. This is what the disciples and their ‘followers of Jesus’ who went
traveling around in Mission work did.
[ Love Fulfills God’s Requirements ]
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love oneanother. If
you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the
requirements of God’s law. Romans 13:8
3-
Love yourself.
How do you show love for yourself? By first repenting of your sins as often as
you feel lead of the Holy Spirit within you, and secondly by treating yourself
as the child of God that you are. God did not make you incorrectly but with a
distinct plan and purpose in mind, Jeremiah 29:11. Stop telling yourself that
you are second rate or half witted ( and I speak to myself here) but admit that
God made you a wonderful wise man or woman of God with a reason! He loves you and for that reason alone you
have proof that you are loveable and important to God!
I press on
to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God,
through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14
Dear brothers and
sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing
and your love for
one another is growing. 2 Thessalonians
1:3
This
week I was at a TNT camp, 'tweens and teens, and while there I got to know a
young lady who is bullied for her size. She was enjoying camp so much partly
because of the Love she received there and unconditionally as humanly possible!
It was great to see her start out kind of quiet and as she went through the
weekend camp she smiled and was full of joy. She spoke up at the fireside chat
a few times even! God’s love is amazing and when we know that He loves us, it
makes it easier to love one another.
When
we know He loves us we can love one another much better. It comes easier then
also to love ourselves as we almost find ourselves loving the people we did not
know we could love; the homeless, the tired, the weary… the kid who has been at
camp all week and is tired and smelly cause they did not shower and they just
want to hug you so hard your ribs break; love one another.
Colossians
3:2
Dear brothers and
sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing
and your love for
one another is growing. 1 John 3:18-19
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the
opportunities you give us this day to love one another; both those of the family of God and those not yet come to the realization and understanding of Christ as their Lord. Help us today to love those whomever you put in our paths, in Jesus name. Amen.
Suggested
reading :1John 3:1-24, Colossians 3:1-25, Philippians 3:1-