(Submitted by Kerry Patton)
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is
from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know
God, because God is love. By this the
love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the
world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, if
God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:7-11.
This past Sunday the advent
candle was for love. This time of the
year we are so busy and our calendars are so full that often we neglect the
people in our lives. We can also become
grumpy and irritated with all the hustle and bustle, crowds and crazy
shoppers. We can become consumed with
making Christmas “perfect” or buying the “perfect” gift that we snap and growl
at those around us. Jesus did give us a
simple command in I John 4:7-11 but it is complex to carry out at times.
Love one another. How simple could instructions be? “Here.
This is what I want you to do. Go
love one another. Ready…go!” Yet, because of our humanity, loving one
another can seem so very difficult. The
circumstances of living, coping with other people’s personalities, dealing with
their decisions, their fractures and flaws, reacting to their own behavior…each
of these can make loving as God loves very difficult.
Yet in truth, that is exactly
what God has done for us. He didn’t wait
for us to change or get our lives in order before he loved us. Romans 5:8 says
that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were yet
sinners. Let that soak in for a moment.
Your sin. My sin.
The sins of all of humanity. Our
heavenly Father took all of it into consideration; and yet his love for us all
was so powerful that he looked passed our unworthiness, and gave his only
begotten son Jesus anyway.
We are challenged to love…love
with God’s love. Whomever life brings
across our path, find a way to love them, because God loved us. And God loves them. In loving others, the love of God is revealed
in us; and the purpose of God giving his son for us is realized.
This Christmas season I
challenge you to love not only those special people in your life but to love
the unlovable as well. Remember that God
loves us when we are unlovable, and He sent His son into this world so many
Christmases ago, born as a tiny baby, to die one day for our sins, because God
loved us. Spread His love, obey His
command.
Prayer:
Almighty God,
and Father of our Lord Jesus. Use our
lives to put your love into action this day, and every day. Keep the love and example of our Lord in
front of all we do, of all our reactions, and guiding our actions. Keep us doing – love… in all we do. Don’t let presents, and shopping, and the
pressure of purchasing happiness and acceptance become the limits of love this
season. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
