04 23 07 Do we love Him?

“…Jesus laid His life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.
But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need,
and shuts off his compassion against him,
how can the love of God reside in such a person?”
(1 John 3:16-17 NET)
This may seem rather difficult at times, but we are to actively, consistently, and deeply love the believers God brings into our lives, our congregations and our Bible studies. Love is a command; our decision to love is an act of obedience. God considers loving one another so important that he told us we must do it. (1 John 4:21) It is a lesson so important that the Apostle John consistently describes love and obedience as synonymous: If you love Jesus, you will obey his commands. I received this reminder from the daily devotional from Purpose Driven Life this morning. So I ask the question: Do we love Him?
Christ crushes the myth that love is based on feelings. He pushes the definition of love to a higher level, God’s level if you will, where behavior and beliefs combine into Godly action. Should we not strive to love at His level, as He loves us? Love is no longer a schoolyard romance or a relationship dictated by compatibility, as some matchmakers may suggest. Rather, real love is and has always been a parent staggering to their baby’s crib for the fifth time in one night, or a passenger giving up his place on a lifeboat to save someone else from a sinking ship. When is the last time we saw a man (young or old) give up a seat for a lady just on the subway? Love is Christ on a cross, dying for us even while we were still lost in our sins. (Romans 5:8) Have we died to our selfish desires now that we are redeemed of our hellish state? Do we love Him?
We must choose to love, not selectively choose who to love. Love requires community. We cannot obey Christ’s command in isolation. We must engage one another; challenge one another, love one another! Our love is not to be measured by the minimum of what we can do, nor is it to be limited only to those who appear deserving. Imagine if God loved me in that fashion! I would have been dead and rotting in the recesses of hell long ago! But He thought enough to pursue me and love me unto Himself.
How would our relationships with other believers change if we began to love them with the standard of Christ?
*God is always near and will never forsake us. We can make up for forsaking others.*God has good plans for us. We can help others see His plan for them as well. *God listens to us when we pray. We can pray for others and show others how to pray.*God forgives us when we fail. We can let others see His grace and mercy in how we treat them and help to pick them up when they fall and keep walking with them! Do we love Him?

“A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one
another.”
(John 13:34 NIV)