“If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” I John 4:20

We serve a God of love. Jesus loved us so much, that He was willing to lay down His life, and suffer a brutal death in our place, when we were His enemy. That is the meaning of perfect love. It is easy to love someone who loves you, but God’s word says in Matthew 5:46, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?” Jesus is the ultimate example of hating no man. As His children, He has called us to show He is dwelling within us, by loving each person He places in our lives. Hasn’t He created them as He has created us? How can we say we are loving Christ, if we don’t love those whom He has made?

A few years ago, God placed a person in my life, who was an irritation, and was very hard to get along with. When I prayed, God began to convict me of my own selfishness. It was not until I asked God to forgive me for not loving her, that I began to see a change in the situation. I then allowed Him to love her through me, and to let Him take control of my words and actions towards her. God started teaching me that I needed to show her that she was important to me, by investing in her. God was able to turn our relationship around, and today, she is one of my best friends.

One of the hardest things in our flesh, is to invest or show interest in someone that we don’t get along with. It is only until we allow Him to work His perfect love in us, that we can truly see someone as He sees them.  To love is to give to the needs of others, without wanting anything in return. God clearly states in 1 Corinthians 13:2, that if I “…have not charity {love}, I am nothing.”

What a person loves, is what he will devote himself to most passionately. What motivates us, and our actions will reflect what has the most value in our lives. The greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:37, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” It goes on to say in verse 39, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” If we are not able to fulfill the first commandment, then it is impossible for us to fulfill the second commandment.

• What are you devoting your life to? Are you fully committed to loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
• Do you love others the same as yourself? Is your love for others mirroring the same love Christ has for them?
• Who in your life should you ask God to help you love? Is there anyone in your life who is hindering you from loving God with all your heart?

On our own strength, we are incapable of loving anyone. It is only through the power of Jesus, who gives us that gift.

~Tori Webster