What is love? I feel like love has really taken a hit lately. People are so off-hand with their relationship to love. We “love” our coffee or tea, we ‘love” sunshine, we “love” to sleep in. Fill in the blank. I’m sure you’ve said something in the last 24 hours about something you “love.” It goes without saying that we love our children, spouse, and friends. But love is so much more than this. Love is more than really liking something a lot, isn’t it?
When we think of how much God loved us, so much he sent his only son to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. That’s profound. That’s intense, crazy love. Jesus talks today in our passage about remaining in his love. How do we do that exactly? Is love a place, too? If not, how do we “remain” there?
God is love. John will talk more about love in 1 John 4:7-21. Some beautiful passages there, too. Here, Jesus is commanding us to love others as he has loved us. Again, that is very intense love that I’m not sure we do a very good job with. Do you think you could lay down your life for somebody else? That’s the kind of love we’re talking about.
Are you able to put someone else’s needs and desires ahead of your own? Think about that one for a moment. You might have said, YES, pretty quickly, but I’m sure there is a “but” or an “except when” in there someplace. When we become selfless so everyone around us can feel our love, that’s when we know we’re on the right track.
Jesus has confided in us. We’ve got some inside information here. If God is love, then we need to be love to the world. We need to show love and compassion for more than just those in our close-knit circle. If God loves all, we need to follow his example and love all, too. Jesus said in verse 17, This is my command: Love each other.”
Jesus isn’t suggesting, he is commanding. Sometimes we have a hard time loving others because we don’t love ourselves first. We need to get our own hearts right and love ourselves. I think that’s why God wants us to remain in him. If we remain connected to the Father, who is love, we can’t help but begin to start loving ourselves. God loves us. We should love us, too.
Take some time today to just rest in the love of God. Let the joy that comes from knowing you are loved bring your heart to overflowing.
Let’s pray. Lord thank you for setting the example when it comes to love. Help me to be better at loving myself and others. I know I have a long way to go to love as you love. Stir in me so I can be more like you. May I obey and love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
