God loves us like we will never understand because His love is something we have never experienced. Think of how others love you. Is it based on performance? Is it motivated by greed? Does it demand something from you, like a quick pro quo? Does it ask you to live up to their unrealistic expectations? Or does this person love you from a pure heart without expecting anything in return?
That is how God loves us. God loves us without asking us to love Him back. He loved us so much, that John 3:16 tells us: “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
It is a selfless and unusual kind of love. It is love that makes no sense because it is irrational for anybody to sacrifice their child for sinners. God did exactly that for us. None of us deserved Him to allow His only Son to die to redeem us. Even after doing so, He was still rejected by many. Some received Him as their Savior, then got mad at Him and abandoned Him. However, that did not stop the Lord from offering Jesus as a sacrificial lamb for humanity.
Those who have experienced the love God shower upon us are truly blessed. They have followed the command He left before sacrificing His life for us. Jesus taught His disciples how to love others, even when this was challenging. And He gave them the command to love one another. (John 13:34-35). It is the kind of love that makes a selfless sacrifice when the majority says you should not. Love does not endorse wrongdoings. Nor does it cheer you on when you disrespect or mistreat someone. It does not go online badmouthing anybody. Love does what Jesus does. He went about doing good. (Acts 10:38).
Christ knew they would face challenges that would put their love for each other to the test. However, they were to continue to do so because it would be the only means to prove to the world that they were His disciples. Jesus expects us to exemplify love. The world needs to know it exists. And we, His followers, should be the evidence of such.
I pray the song, Jesus Loves You by Sanctus Is Real, stirs your heart to inspire others to follow Jesus' command to love each other.
TIME FOR REFLECTION: Loving others should be easy. However, sometimes, it is challenging. How did you overcome loving someone you found hard to love? Encourage somebody today by sharing your story in the comments below. Hit that heart and share this devotional.
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