Loving people is not always a “pleasant experience,” for us or for those whom we love.
Jesus demonstrating his love for us by suffering and dying on the cross was not a pleasant experience for him. Nevertheless, because of his love for his father and for us, he gladly sacrificed himself. Telling the Pharisees they were a brood of vipers, because he loved them enough to speak the truth, was not a pleasant experience for the Pharisees.
Acts of love are often difficult, which is why the NT uses the metaphor of “laying your life down” as a picture of how love behaves.
Jesus gave his life for us, even though we were at war with him and running as fast as we could in the opposite direction of his open arms.
God pursues us before we are even aware of our need for him.
God’s love is freely offered and, while we may reject that love, he never ceases offering it to us.
God’s love is, at times, perceived as impotent because he refuses to force himself on us.
God’s love sometimes moves him to leave us alone, where we can discover just how deep our need for him is.
God loves us so speaks the truth-that-will-set-you-free to us…even if it makes us angry or hurts our feelings.
God’s love is not blind: it is, however, filled with grace and mercy.
Paul tells us that God’s love has been poured out into our hearts. This means that, as we learn to express and demonstrate both who and what is within us, we will increasingly find ourselves loving others as he loves us. (See Above.)
Copyright Monte E Wilson, 2007
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