Love As Jesus Loved

Day 5

Love As Jesus Loved

I believe that in order to truly and rightly love others, we must first come to an understanding of the way God loves us.  Jesus says, in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you; love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  So, how does God love us?  I imagine that most of us would mention that He loves us sacrificially – God the Father gave his Son to die for us – Jesus suffered and took the punishment for our sin on the cross.  We are certainly called to love each other by our actions, to want what is best for the other person, to sacrifice for them.  Most true acts of love involve a personal cost to us.  If there is no sacrifice involved in a relationship, there is little love.

The bible also has much to say about the intensity and the character of God’s love for us.  “For the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.  As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Maker marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”  Is. 62:4-5.  “They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After” (Is. 62:12).  Isn’t that wonderful – to be “sought after” by the Lord and creator of the universe?!  In Isaiah 43, God says, “I have summoned you by name; you are mine”, and “you are precious and honored in my sight”.  Having a relationship with each one of us is desirable to God! 

Why did God create the universe and place us in it? He created the universe for our enjoyment and created us to be in a love relationship with Him, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in a love relationship with each other.  God created an unbelievably beautiful world of infinite diversity, full of good things for us, and then gave us the freedom to choose how we would live our lives and enjoy His gifts to us.  Then Adam and Eve (and all of us, too) decided to throw it all back in His face and believe Satan’s lie that God really doesn’t have our best interests in mind.  And what did God do?  He graciously provided a way for us to get back into relationship with Him – He came for us in the person of Jesus – came to earth pay our ransom, take our punishment, and provide a way for us to continue in relationship with Him.  “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See – I have engraved you on the palms of my hands!”  Isaiah 49:15-16

This kind of amazing love and grace should cause us to respond with gratitude, worship, and a desire to love each other as He has loved us!

Questions for Reflection

How do we, like Adam and Eve, fall prey to Satan’s lie, that The Lord does not have our best in mind?  How does this affect our ability to love with a Higher Love? 

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How does practicing courtesy reflect a Higher Love, wanting what is best for the other person? 

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Can you think of an example in your life where you expressed love by being courteous, not self-seeking or rude?  How did this increase your capacity for Higher love?  Did the other person receive it this way?

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Based on the devotional, write out a prayer.

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Contributors:  Claudia Brydon, Bob Klecan, Debby Lutz, Heather Weismiller