I am always amazed when I read where Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (John 15:9). I can hardly conceive of the idea that Jesus loves me as God the Father loved Him! Yet it is true, for Jesus said it. He was the example of how to love others. Then He goes a step further, asking me to apply this same yardstick to my love. He said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Oooo, now, that’s difficult! Ask Elizabeth Charles. She was born back in the early 1800s, yet what she wrote is as true today as it was then. She said, “It requires far more of the … love of Christ to love our cousins and neighbours … than to feel the heart warm to our suffering brethren in [far-off places]. To love the whole Church is one thing; to … [overlook] the defects of the person who misunderstood me and opposed my plans yesterday … is quite another.” Yes, Elizabeth, it’s hard to love the one who rubs me the wrong way. Yet, that is loving with the love of God.
One time I knew I was going to have meet some people who were very unhappy with me, and I dreaded it. But I couldn’t avoid them. All at once God seemed to drop a thought into my heart that totally changed my attitude. “Just because they don’t love you, doesn’t mean you can’t love them. In fact, there’s nothing they can do to stop you from loving them!” Inside I began to laugh to myself. “That’s right, there’s nothing they can do to stop me from loving them!” In fact, when I did see those people I found it easy to greet them with a smile. I was totally free to love them whether or not they loved me.
How about showing God you love Him by doing something out of the ordinary today for someone—maybe even someone you don’t like!
Leave a Reply