Is Love An Option?

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 NIV

Is love an option?

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 NIV

God does not want any of us to struggle with the concept of how important love is, so he declares:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 NIV

I submit to you my brothers and sisters, this is not an option- it is a command.  How well do we do with this command? Do we feel this applies to only our families, our children, and our friends?  Do we willingly look into the eyes of our brothers and sisters, who we do not know, and say “Hello” or “Good morning?” Do we care enough to even remember the names of those who the Lord brings across our path? Do we ignore or look away from those who may have extended a kindness or gesture of fellowship to us?

Love is the cornerstone, because HE is the cornerstone- and HE is Love. He created our hearts for his love, and he desires for us to pour it out on him, and on all who he puts in our lives.  He does not narrow the field for us, he very much broadens it.  The love we have for one another lays the foundation for the joy he desires for us to have our hearts. The full measure of his joy!

Love is the first in the fruits of the spirit, it is the anchor.

In I Corinthians 13:13, Paul says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Is love important? Is it an option? It is not.  It is the very basis of our existence- to love deeply and to be loved. We must not only desire it for ourselves, but for all who the Lord puts in our lives in any capacity.

We cannot be afraid to love, not afraid of rejection. We must accept the fact that as we put ourselves out there in faith, God will guard our hearts.

Was anyone more rejected than Jesus? Is he still rejected today?

Jesus said, on the night he was arrested:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV

Is love an option? Not in a million years!

Paul writes:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

The Bible is a love letter, isn’t it?

When you see love, don’t look away.

Love one another.

 

Barnabas

 

Special thanks for this guest submission by Barnabas.