God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God. This is God’s unconditional Agape love, not human infallible love. God’s love is multi-faceted. It is patient and kind. It is not envious or boastful or proud. It does not dishonor others, nor seeks for self-gratification. It is not easily angered, nor does it keep a list of slights and abuse.
God’s love rejoices in truth and is repulsed by evil. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres through tribulation. It never fails regardless of the faults of others, and it will last into eternity (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). God’s authentic Born Again Believers trust in the love that God has for us, because we experience it every moment of every day (1 John 4:16).
When my former husband decided there was no option for us but divorce, I learned that hate is the opposite side of the coin of love, two passionate emotions using the same vehicle of expression. The human realm of emotions has no rage comparable to that of love when it turns to hatred.
The reason that we hate is because our love is spurned or disappointed. When my former husband made a decision that affected my life, but gave me no opportunity to give my input into the decision, I had to face the future on my own, without any aid from my former husband. What little savings we had went to pay back my father for the down payment he gave us to buy our home; and when the house sold, I never received any of the profit from that sale.
I had to give my dejection and abandonment to God and to choose not to hate. This ended up being the best gift my former husband ever gave to me, because it drove my roots deeper into my relationship with God, my provider and protector. It also freed me to marry a man that loves me more than he loves himself, and who loves God more than he loves me.
God’s agape love covers a multitude of sins, casts out all fear, and sets us apart from those without God’s love in their hearts. When we love others with God’s love, we decide to accept each other’s faults and to encourage one another’s successes. Jesus says that people will recognize us as His disciples by our love (1 John 4:18-20; John 13:35-37).
Prayer:
Father God, You taught us by Your example to love those who hurt us. Help us to rely on Your spiritual power instead of our human “nuclear” power. Help us to follow Your Spirit’s direction to prevent us from developing into misdirected persons with an overwhelming surplus of negative emotions dictating our thoughts and behavior. Remind us that praying for the one who rejects us will heal our heart faster than harboring negative emotions in our heart towards them.
Teach us that Your love actually never ends. It just changes directions at times. Our willful sin causes You to look away from us until we cry out to You, repent of our iniquity, and live for You according to Your dictates and principles rather than our own human limitations (Proverbs 3:5-6). We give all honor and glory to You and sing praises to Your name during every waking moment of our day.
Thoughts for the Day:
If God’s love makes us the type of people who love no matter what happens, then others will want to know what we believe, so they too can experience God’s love. God abundantly supplies His love to each of His children regardless of race, doctrine, nationality, or financial status. Even when someone we love dies, our love never dies. God’s love lives on in our heart in spite of death, divorce, and disease.
