Loving God

Today we’re looking at God’s attribute of love. Love is the very essence of His being.

1 John 4:8 says, “God IS LOVE!” You may be thinking: “Okay, I know that, but what does that mean?” The love of God is known as “agape” love, the deepest, most profound kind of love.

It may help to look at what is required to show Agape love. After all, Jesus tells us:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

- Matthew 18:24

If God IS love and Jesus told us to follow His actions, it would mean we work towards an agape love for others.

Agape love requires a willingness to get involved with another person, put yourself in their world. Agape love requires risk. It is given unconditionally and undeserved. Jesus loved those who doubted, questioned, accused, judged and ultimately put Him on the cross. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life and that is exactly what He did!  

Jesus taught us that people can be messy, needy, asking us to make sacrifices for them. But think about how He loved. He stopped and talked with people, and had dinner at the homes of tax collectors and sinners. He never was inconvenienced or turned them away.

There is something powerful in Jesus’ example of agape love in John 11:32-36:

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

- John 11:32-36

I am struck by the response, “See how He loved him!” The love of Jesus looks like wet, salty tears staining His face. It looks like Him welcoming and laughing with children when everyone else pushed them away. It looks like outstretched arms on an old wooden cross as He exchanged His life for yours and mine. And it looks like a stone rolled away revealing an empty grave - resurrection life. For you and me.

While we can’t attain the kind of love God has for us, we can put into practice the qualities of what agape love looks like.

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, agape love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Which of those qualities does God want to strengthen in you?

Maybe you look at that list and think you’re doing pretty good. Yah, well…. Do you ever get angry with the actions of your spouse or kids or maybe find it hard to forgive someone for that deep wound they inflicted on you. Today, I encourage you to take a moment, meditate on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and ask God where you need to grow.

For me, it’s an ongoing process of developing patience. As I read the Gospels monthly and see how Jesus patiently persevered with people, I know I still have some work to do.

Let’s invite Jesus to continue to shape us this week!

Pastor Pam

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