Love Like Jesus

Happy February, friends! It is the beautiful month of love.

When you think of love what comes to mind? Romance? Passion? Kindness? Sacrifice? Purity? Happiness? Despair? Hope? Hopelessness?

As we all know, Valentine’s Day and the subject of love can bring about a vast array of thoughts and feelings – leaving each individual recalling his or her own version of what love has looked like and felt like in their own lives. We have each had our own unique experiences, haven’t we?

Yet, instead of asking ourselves what our own particular view on love is, turning to truth is always the better option. Truth will always be truth, no matter how we feel about it.

Where do we find the truth about love?

Truth is found in scripture. God’s Word is chock full of references on love. After all, the Bible – holy and sovereign – was written and inspired by God, The Creator of love Himself.

The God of heaven and earth (the God who created everything we see, touch, taste, smell and experience) created love. We love because He first loved us! (1 John 4:19) Did you know He loved us so much that He wrote us the most beautiful love letter ever written? Isn’t He wonderful? So why not dive into His Word and refresh ourselves on how to love like Jesus.

The way we should show love and the way we should be loved is all written out and explained beautifully in the Bible. We all need love. We all search for love. We all desire to give love and to feel love – so who better to learn its rich meanings and complexities from than God himself? But is love supposed to be complicated? No. However, we, in our fleshly human nature, can certainly make it that way.

When some people think of love, romance is the first thing that comes to mind. Whether you are waiting on that special someone to ignite your life with the fire of heated passion, or you’ve been fanning the flame for years, romanic love is only a portion of all that true love has to offer. Albeit, a beautiful one.

God created love to include glorious romance and although there are plenty of sultry and steamy scriptures written in the Song Of Solomon detailing the delicious, intimate and beautiful side of love, today I wanted to focus on the whole meaning of love: God’s love for us, our love returned to Him and our love extending to others.

What does it look like? How should it sound? How should it make you and others feel?

John 15:13 declares that the greatest action of love is laying down your life for another. This depiction of love is the astounding and incredible way Jesus Himself demonstrated it. His love is our shining example. His ultimate love for us, drew Him to the rugged cross at Calvary. He died willingly so that we could have a way to live with Him for all of eternity in heaven. How profound! True love is sacrificial – even unto death.

Another beautiful example of love is found in John 3:16, which again explains how very much we are loved by God. John writes,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Wow! This again depicts Jesus’ act of the greatest love for us – to be the sin-sacrifice in our place. He “laid down His life” for you and for me – and if we believe, we get to be with him eternally. There is no greater love.

Romans 5:8 says,

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

With these scriptures as proof, none of us can say we are unloved – because Jesus poured out His love for us all in the ultimate way, even knowing His love might not be returned to Him. Incredible!

Another passage of scripture, that describes love in its purest form is the love quoted in 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. It is the kind of love we all want to be on the receiving end of. The Scriptures above teach us love that “lays down its life” and first Corinthians explains loved lived out on a daily basis. When we read through this scripture below, we should ask ourselves if this is how we show love to others. Is it how we love God? Let’s read through this passage together. Take it in slowly – pausing to allow ourselves to reflect.

This is what true love is. 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.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Now that we have these beautiful scriptures on what true love should look like tucked in our hearts, and we have pondered if we are also showing love in a Godly way to those we love around us, lets look at one more scripture on loving others when they are not loving towards us. We all have people in our lives who have hurt us. Are we able to still show them love according to the word of God? What about our enemies? Those who truly oppose us and make life so difficult?

Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

This is my desire. To love the world around me like Jesus did. Pure, unconditionally, with mercy, grace, no favoritism and with an abundant heart. I may fail everyday, but practice makes progress and as I purpose in my heart to love like Jesus, I gain ground with each forward step.

My prayer is that this Valentine’s Day, as the world turns its focus to its own version of love, we will choose to turn our eyes to Jesus and love like He does.

February 14th may come and go without a love letter from your secret admirer or a heart-shaped box of chocolates, but you my friend are loved!

DEEPLY!

You are loved so much that the Word of God was written and transcribed just for you. It is rich and alive with true love expressions and it is dripping with goodness – with the kind of love we are made to crave.

I hope you take some time today and throughout the month of love to search out more scriptures for yourself. Dig deep and discover the love-abundance that will fulfill every longing and desire your heart will ever hold.

This Valentine’s Day pull up your seat at the table Jesus has already prepared for you. He is waiting with the best, most extravagant love you will ever know. “He prepares a table before me” -Psalms 23:5 rest and feel your cup overflowing!

This message from Jesus says it best. Jesus says in John 15:9-17,

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last — and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”

I am absolutely overwhelmed at the love the Father has for me. If you are feeling the same way, I encourage you to listen to this music video by CeCe Winans and sing it back to the Lord out of the overflow of your heart. As we receive the incredible love that He has for us, let’s pour love back out onto His feet in a beautiful moment of worship.

Happy month of love, friends! Let’s love like Jesus!

~ Stephanie