Love Really Does Matter
Jesus told us in Matthew the greatest commands for each of us in this life. One, love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. The second, which He said was equally as important, was to love our neighbors as ourselves. He wrapped it up by saying everything else is based on those two commands. Think about that for a moment. We throw the word “love” around like it is a novelty item, or a toy, something we can easily replace. But love is the epitome of who God is; He is love. When we live in a place of reciprocating love to God with all our beings, we are positioned for relationship with Him. The problem we have in many cases today is people do not know love, period. They know a perverted and twisted counterfeit of love, but not love. At the risk of sounding like a 21st century hippie, love really is the answer, but only the real thing. We crave it, whether we admit it or not. We need it. Our souls beg for it. We often seek it in the darkest places only to be sold the equivalent of a counterfeit version of name brand clothing. We walk away feeling nasty, dirty, and disappointed.
There is no substitute for the love we know through relationship with God and without that relationship and knowing His love, we are incapable of loving ourselves, and thereby unable and incapable of loving others. Thus, the reason our world is in the mess it is in today. The love of God is not pressing though. He will not force His love on anyone, we must willingly receive it. For so long, for too many years, I lived with the cloak of religion around me and told everyone it was relationship. God knows. He knew. But the moment I encountered His life-changing love, my eyes were opened. Yes, we can go to church every week and still not know His love. Yes, it is possible to live our entire lives with the counterfeit of the real love of God. Today, may we come to know His love in a practical, real, tangible, supernatural manner and take that love and share it with everyone.
First, we must know His love, then, we are able to love Him, and then we know to love ourselves and love others. That, my friends, is the ultra-oversimplified way to change the world. Love. It really does matter. The love of God is the true north for the compass of our lives.
Heavenly Father, Reveal to me, in this moment, Your love for me. Open my eyes to the love You have for me, stir and awaken my heart to know Your love. Only then can I truly love You in return and then love myself and love others. Today, Father, I am asking for You to help me awaken my soul and come to know Your love in fullness. -Amen
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘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 22:36-37 NLT
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