And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. (1 John 3:23)
“I love you” is easy to say, but not necessarily easy to do. When we slow down and think about whether we live out our love for Jesus, we might discover many things, including good things, compete for our affections. Friends, hobbies, sporting events, work, and even our loved ones can compete with Jesus and a kingdom-oriented lifestyle of love.
Allowing Jesus to be first in our lives can be quite challenging; in fact, this reality is typically the reason people slowly separate from God’s way of life. However, the beautiful thing is that once we begin placing Jesus first and foremost, we can truly love everything else that follows. We cannot completely understand and express love until we first experience God’s unending love for us. God’s unconditional love produces the ability to love ourselves and those around us with a pure, selfless kind of love.
If we are not intentional, we can quickly fall into the trap of trying to love God and love others out of our own abilities. Eventually, these attempts at love become a form of performing love, which is difficult, if not impossible, to sustain over the long haul. We will inevitably struggle to love others out of our own willpower. Instead, we must pursue an empowering and effortless love that can come only from the One who shows us how to love well.
Let your love for others flow from God’s love for you.
Ed Love has been in active ministry for seventeen years. He currently serves as the church multiplication director for The Wesleyan Church.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
