The Love of Christ

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Affinity is not love, passion is not love, attraction is not love, and our most sincere feelings fall far short of love. God is love, and He alone defines it. His love finds its clearest expression in Jesus Christ, and Jesus gave His life for us, though we did not deserve it. We, too, must learn to love those who are undeserving, for only then are we truly like God. The Lord will place difficult people and challenges before us to prove and purify our love, and He will always stretch us beyond ourselves and connect us to His interests in others and not our own.

God's love is demonstrative. It is active and effective, and it changes every heart that receives it. We are called to love like He did, and we must not be surprised when we are placed in predicaments that test that love. Those are the conditions in which love thrives, and God's love always proves itself sufficient for any challenge it faces. If Jesus died for me while I cared nothing for Him, then I must be willing to show kindness, even to those who may never appreciate my efforts. In doing so, I am becoming more like Jesus, and the Father is pleased to see the love of Christ at work in me. In fact, that is what pleases Him most. 

Let's Pray – Father, enlarge my capacity for loving others. May I go farther than my feelings will ever take me. Teach me to love others like Jesus loves me. That is the greatest love of all. Amen.