Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 NKJV
There is no one who will ever love you more than Jesus! Take a minute to think about the physical and emotional pain he endured for you on the cross. Is there anyone else who would endure that kind of pain and torture on your behalf? And we know that His sacrifice began not at the cross but the moment He emptied Himself and took on human flesh in the form of a helpless babe. Why would the God of all creation, submit himself to the ones He created, and endure extreme suffering at their hands, when He could have called thousands of angels to destroy His accusers and rescue Him from their abuse? It was His incredible love for you and for I that drove Him to put our interests above His own!
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8 NIV
Love, as we know it, is usually a two way street, we love those who love us. But God’s love is truly unconditional. He loved you before you chose to love Him in return. What if you never chose to reciprocate His love? He felt you were worth the risk. He sacrificed it all for you not because you loved Him, but to give you the chance to do so. He wanted to make it possible for you to walk with Him and know His joy. His desire is to give you abundant satisfying life.
Then why is my life so full of pain? Man is responsible for the existence of pain, not God.When sin entered the world, pain entered with it. Could God alleviate pain for those who love Him? Yes, and He will, but not until we reach eternity. This life is temporary, in fact it’s nothing more than a blip on the screen of eternity. Those who embrace the love of God will not experience pain in eternity! And those who walk with God will find His love a constant source of encouragement and comfort in this life when it brings us heartache and pain. God’s amazing love reaches beyond the painful situations in life.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? Romans 8:35 NLT
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NIV
Know today, that you are loved! Will you love Him in return?