John, a follower of Jesus, wrote the following words about love in his short letter in the Bible: “Dear Friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God - For God is love! God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:7-10 NLT)
In many ways I think God has gotten a bad “rap” in the world today. Many, if they even believe in God, see God as vengeful…or at best, distant and uninvolved. Part of that is because those of us who profess to follow Him so often misrepresent Him. Often we fail to love as He has first loved us. We gladly embrace God’s forgiveness, but we are rather stingy with forgiveness and mercy when it comes to doling it out to others.
Jesus taught love, lived love and encouraged love. Very simply put, when the theologians of His day asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment, He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT).
Jesus was a master at keeping things simple yet profound. He went so far as to say that we should love our enemies, even those who persecute us. Imagine a world where love is not only spoken, but lived!
So how can we be better lovers?
First of all, receive God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. The good news is that “God is love.” It is difficult, if not impossible, for people who do not feel loved to love. As someone once said to me, “hurt people hurt people.” Invite the loving God of the universe to mend your brokenness, to forgive, to restore. Embrace God’s grace.
Will to love. It is a commandment, not a suggestion. Love is a choice. It is a decision of the will. Will we love, even those we consider unlovely or who do not reciprocate our love?
Interesting… Jesus, the crowning example of love, was crucified at 33 years old, declaring the message of love. St. Valentine, following in the footsteps of Jesus, declaring a message of love, suffered martyrdom for his faith on February 14, 278 A.D, by Emperor Claudius II, who demanded Valentine to renounce his faith. For centuries the world has sought to stamp out love, but love springs forth eternal.
