What does it really mean to love like Christ?
God's love for us doesn't waver when we sin. Can we love others the same even when they sin against us? Can we love them no matter what, and not hold the past against them? God's love for us is never changing. Nothing we can do can make that love stronger, or let it fade away. Can we love others that way? Can we love everyone in our lives the same whether they are mean to us, hurt us or treat us like queens? If we love like Christ we could. Sometimes this is easier than others. If they do little things, of course it is easy to overlook them. But what about the big things that really hurt us, can we love them the same as before after something major? God loves us the same, even when we make major mistakes. And you know what, He loves them the same as He loves us. He knows more about them than we will ever know, and He loves them just the same. When they sin against us, they sin against Him too, but He loves them anyway, it doesn't change His love in the slightest, He chooses to love them through their sins, just as He loves us. Can we do that? Can we love others no matter what they do to us, no matter how much it hurts us?
Christ loves us with Agape love. Love that is a wide open, unconditional, consuming love. It is a love that is hopeful, truthful, selfless, gentle, trusting, patient, kind, enduring, and everlasting. As my dear friend Robin once said, it is a love that is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Agape love is the reason that God sent His only begotten son to die on a cross for our sins. Agape love is the reason that Jesus shed His blood for us, and the reason that He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us, to help us love others. Agape love is 1 Corinthians 13 love. Can we love others like that? I believe we can.
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Heather, once again in my blogging life, the Holy Spirit is using other Christian bloggers to convict and rebuke me! For this post I am so grateful! My mother tonight just labeled me self-righteous, and it cut me to the core. But I am struggling this very minute to forgive her and love her as if nothing had happened. I need Agape love. I thank you so much for today's post!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad that this blessed you! God has been teaching me so much about love, it's amazing!
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