A Call To Love

Have you ever had the same message or topic come your way multiple times in a short time period?  I have and I love it because I know God's speaking to me directly and wants to teach me something, encourage me, or challenge me to grow.  After hearing this same message in a variety of ways I decided to write about what God's been teaching me and maybe someone else who reads this will also be challenged like I have been.  

"But anyone who does not love, does not know God, for God is love." 
1 John 4:8

Love.  A little four letter word that holds so much meaning. Most people think that love is something you feel.  While there are many types of love (romantic love, parental love, child love, friendship love, familial love) none of them have to do with feeling a certain way.  A simple definition of love would be to choose to treat someone with respect, kindness and selflessness.  To choose to forgive and treat someone the way you would want to be treated.  Love is a choice we make and the subsequent actions that follow that choice.

"And do everything with love."  1 Corinthians 16:14

God's been bringing Scripture and sermons my way to show me that I do not love the way He intends for a Christian to love.  I base how I feel about someone on whether or not I am truly kind and selfless with them.  That's not love. As I was driving one morning after reading a passage of scripture about love and realizing God was challenging me to grow in this area, a person pulled out in front of me almost causing me to slam into the back of him.  Oh boy I didn't feel very loving at that moment!  However, I didn't slam on my horn or make any frustrated gestures or scream at him from the protection of my van, but rather just kept on my way, thanking God we weren't hurt.  As I kept driving I realized that that was a show of love.  I surely didn't feel very nice feelings towards this driver, nor did I like what he did, but I chose not to lash out at him in my anger, as I have done numerous times while driving (can you say road rage?! Which is definitely not love!).  God used this as well as some other circumstances to show me how to truly make a choice to love- to be kind and forgiving and treat others like I want to be treated even when they don't make it easy, even when I don't like them.  See you can not like someone but still love them.  Remember love is a choice to be kind, forgive, be selfless and treat people like you want to be treated.  Like is all about feeling.  You will not like everyone and the Bible doesn't say you are required to either.  Some personalities just don't match up and we rub each other the wrong way.  This doesn't mean you can't be kind to people you don't have fond feelings for.  To love like God wants us to, means we are actively being kind to others, forgiving people without them asking, not seeking revenge, and being willing to meet their needs if you are able to.  A rule of thumb to live by would be 1) What would Jesus do?  2) Is this how I would want someone to treat me?

"If someone says, 'I love God', but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar.  For if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers"  1 John 4:20-21

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."  John 13:34

God commands us to love one another, it's a command just like not stealing or killing.  It's not optional.  He gave us the example of true love to follow by sending Jesus to selflessly take our place on the cross, to die for everyone, even all those who completely reject and mock Him.  That's true love.  That's true kindness and selflessness and putting others before yourself.  We can't get past minor offenses, much less be willing to give up our lives for people.  "Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other."  1 John 4:11

"Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law."  Romans 13:10

God has challenged me in two ways concerning love:

1) Being careful to remember that I don't have to feel fondness for someone to treat them with respect and kindness and act toward them the way I'd want someone to act toward me.

2)Learning to forgive people without them even asking because as 1 Peter 4:8 says "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."

I hope God has used this and His Word to challenge you to take a honest look at your "love life".  Are you truly loving the way God tells us we should?  Are there ways you can improve your love for others? Are you holding on to hurts and letting those affect how you love?  Are you basing your love on whether you feel "like" towards a person?  Let's set this world on fire by loving others the way God intended!