They Will Know Us By Our Love

John 13:33 "If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

When we are not loving to one another as believers it is the worst hypocrisy. God is love. He sent His only Son to save us because of His love for us. He then commanded us to love one another. We say in our minds that you can't make people love each other. Love is not some magic feeling that wells up inside us and spills mysteriously over onto people. Love is a choice. I don't love because I feel anything in particular. I love because God loves. He gives me love to share. He loves through me. I love that.

It is a biblical mandate that we must love one another. Scores of times in the teachings of Jesus and throughout the Word of God, we are told that we should love one another. Plain and simple. Get over your emotions and do something about being loving. Can you love just because it is the right thing to do? Sure you can. Love is not a matter of preference or something that is supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Love is unconditional commitment and devotion. It is a verb that needs to be expressed from choice. When I choose to love, that is special because no one has to earn it. Neither do I have to earn it.

Granted, it is easier to love some than others. But we are not talking about ease, we are talking about commitment. I am committed to this ministry, to my marriage, to my principles out of love, not because it is easy. Love doesn't have to be rewarding or fun. We shouldn't expect reciprocation or mutuality. It is truly unconditional and no strings attached. Different than the overwhelming majority of games we play with our emotions and feelings.

Love is words, but not only words. Love is action, but must be genuine and sincere. Sounds more and more difficult doesn't it? Love is an opportunity to glorify God. Love is a free gift. Love is real. We have so romanticized and fantasized and emotionalized love that we have put ourselves in the position of not knowing how to share it. So we don't. We either 'like' or 'don't like' instead. Like ice cream flavors. Love means the sum total of grace and mercy together. God is love because He is the sum total of all that is good. Ask God's help to love. He knows how and can teach you how to love. Begin with Him, then yourself, like He loves you and then others like He loves you.

I hope we can be more loving. A good starting point is to stop being unloving. You know...... unkind, rude, mean, gossipy, cruel, harsh and generally not nice. I am going to make a concerted effort to love more and be unloving less. How about you? Will you join me in making this verse a reality in our lives? After all, they will know we are Christians by our love, and it was Jesus himself who asked us. He surely loves us enough to ask. Can't really be a disciple unless we try harder.

With His Love and Mine,
Pastor Fred

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