Love One Another

To fall in love comes easy. I am talking about the kind of love you have for that special person in your life. You know what I mean. You look into those beautiful green eyes and handsome face and with a few kind and gentle words you are hooked. Romantic love has a way of capturing us many times before we understand the person to whom our affections are attached.

Biblical love or God's love is very different and is not easy. If it was the apostle John would not have spent so much time talking about it. 1 John 4:7,8 says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

If we are honest, there is that one person or persons we do not like let alone love. They rub us the wrong way every time we are in their presence. For now I am focusing on those who are in our own christian circles. Many times we will go out of our way to go out of their way - you know, avoidance.

When we find ourselves in this situation we must go back to the gospel. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." (1 John 4:9) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) Notice we were very unlovely people when Christ died for us. We truly rubbed Him the wrong way and I am sure it was very difficult for Him to be in our presence. We were still sinners when Christ died for us. God loves us and shows His love by sending His only begotten son to die for our failure to love and to give us His Spirit enabling us to love.

I encourage you to read 1 John 4. When you are faced with the person you do not like - think, "Since God loves me, I can and must love you." You may not like him and he may rub you the wrong way but the Lord says you are to love him. Love is patient, kind and does not behave rudely. Love gives and thinks of others first. If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.