John 15:12 commands us to love each other as Christ has loved us. Love is an action word that requires us to do something. However, if you do not know what love looks and feels like, you cannot receive it. You will reject it, push it away, and discard it. Likewise, you could abuse it, mistreat it, trample over it, and even misunderstand it. It is hard to give somebody something that they have never felt.
God believes everybody is valuable and worthy of love. However, if you have never experienced unconditional love, how can you accept it when it comes near you? When it shows up through acts of random kindness, you think there's an ulterior motive. When love accepts you as you are but shows you areas of your life you need to grow in, you say you have to measure up. Love is even patient with you and keeps giving you another chance, and you refuse to change. Besides, old habits and customs are difficult to release. If you don’t recognize what love is, you can’t accept it or return it to others. The result is that you will reject love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us love is patient, kind, and not jealous. It does not even seek its own or is easily angered, nor takes into account a wrong inflicted. Love is selfless and has no hidden agenda. Still, anybody who has not experienced authentic love will find these actions offensive and unbelievable.
And when love looks like something you have never experienced, you guard your heart because you feel vulnerable. Still, each day, God equips us to experience the power of His love. Philippians 2:2-4, ESV, love shows up with no expectations. It is not from what we do outwardly but valuing others above ourselves.
It takes chances without a guarantee of exchange or acceptance. There is no quick pro quo because loving others is a selfless sacrifice. In other words, love is not only what we say but with practical actions that put love on a pedestal. (1 John 3:18).
If you find it hard to receive the love that someone offers, as the Bible describes, allow these verses to open your heart so you will receive the genuine love of God you have never known. And for those willing to accept His unconditional love through such practical acts of love, you will never be the same.
I pray the musical selection Perfect Love, by Lincoln Brewster ministers to you profoundly.
TIME FOR REFLECTION: Love calls us to show vulnerability and trust others. Share a time when you accepted love, though it was hard to do so, and the results enriched your life. Please encourage somebody today. Leave your comment below. Hit that heart and share.
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Bless yourself, your family, and your friends with my books. These devotionals are a great source of encouragement. Use them for Bible Study, Group Fellowships, and even Prayer Groups.
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