“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” 1 John 4:16 (NLT)
“Love is like a red, red rose . . .” doesn’t it make goose bumps race over your forearms? The poet seems to forget that roses also have thorns. Is love like a pointed, sticking thorn? You can’t have roses without thorns. Do thorns really make us appreciate the rose more?
I think that love is incomprehensible. Some of us can love, while others have never experienced it. We are able to love some people, while simply thinking of others drives us to the prayer closet. Then John has the audacity to connect our loving one another to our love for God (see 1 Jn. 4:7-21). He virtually insists that our love for one another is evidence of our relationship with God.
Our response to John, of course, is that it is so easy to love God. After all, He loved us first and gave his son to be our Savior. I mean really, John, the Cross of Calvary shows God’s love. Who could not love him? He sacrificed himself for us!
Of course, it’s not his love in question, is it? Our love is under the microscope. We enjoy those who are like us. We even like those who are likeable and lovable. We are tempted to ignore John’s teaching, however, when it forces us to consider our own love of others. Those who rub us the wrong way. The obnoxious ones. The contrary ones. The grubby ones. The snooty ones. The ignorant ones.
Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (Jn. 13:34 KJV & 15:12, 17). Why did he insist on making it a command? Perhaps that’s the thorn on the rose of love.
Dear Father, I praise you for the love of your grace and mercy. Thank you for the evidence of your love shown on Calvary. Forgive us our failures to love others. Deliver us from partiality and empower us with the spirit of generous love. I pray this in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Let us praise God for his incomprehensible love and love one another,