Love

Love! When we think of February, we always think of love. We think of Valentine’s Day and the love in our lives. We think of our true love, our children, and our families. We think of the things we love to do, places we love to go, and things we love to eat.

Christians think of the One who loved us before we loved Him. In 1 John 4:19 we read, “’We love because he first loved us.” I don’t know why He loves us. I know we are His creation, but at some point, you would think He would just wash His hands of all humanity and start again. But He didn’t. He doesn’t. He continues to love us.

We all know the verse. John 3:16 says, “’For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” I still can’t imagine that kind of love.

I am grateful for it. I accept it. I rejoice in it. But I don’t understand it.

I love my wife and would give my life for her, but she is not the rotten, evil, undeserving, hating person that I was when God loved me before I loved Him. His love is unimaginable. His love is far greater than any love we can ever give in return.

Isn’t that something we should share? Love. Burt Bacharach said, “What the world needs now is love sweet love.” The beetles sang, “All you need is love.” Most of the songs written are written about love. If the world knows that love is so important, shouldn’t we share the greatest love of all?

You say, “I’ll be rejected.” Yes, you are probably right, but isn’t it worth the risk? Besides, you are not the one being rejected. They are rejecting the love of God not the love of man. Still, they need a chance. They don’t deserve it, but they need it. We didn’t deserve it either and we certainly needed it.

I spend a lot of time talking about my life verses. Here they are again. Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

We are to love. If we love, we will share. If we do not, we have broken a command from God. In fact, we have broken His greatest command.

Love God. Love People. Everything we do starts with a love for God. Worship. Giving. Prayer. Growth.

It continues with the love for people. We don’t love the sin in their lives. We love the value they have as Imago Dei. They are created in the image of God and have value to God. We should value them as well. That is a real problem in today’s society. We no longer value all human life. We think some people are disposable. Whether they are so evil that we think they cannot be saved or whether they have chosen to rebel against God and like Pharoah have hardened their hearts to Him or whether they simply haven’t been born yet. We do not have the right to give up on or throw anyone away.

We must love the way God does. We must see them beyond creation and see them as believers. As children. God’s children. A brother and sister in Christ. God’s family. No one is excluded. There is room for all who believe, but how can they believe unless we tell them?

Love for people is shown in our actions. Missions. Prayer. Outreach. Friendship. Relationship. What we do shows people how we love.

February is the month we celebrate love. Take time and share love with people this February and put your love into action. Share the gospel with someone. God will do the rest.