www.bible.com/1713/jhn.15.13.csb
What is true love for you? There is the romantic ideal of popular media that true love is the one who is your soul mate, the one who speaks your love language and is devoted completely to you and you to them. It includes the ideas of honesty, loyalty, passion and truth. This is often touted as the greatest kind of love. But, . . .
Jesus has something different to say. There is no greater love that one who lays down his life for his friends. I don’t want to disagree with the Lord on this one, it I also remember Romans 5:8, where the love of the Father was demonstrated in this: while we were still enemies, Christ died for us. I might argue that this kind of love is greater still. And perhaps in league with these is this from John 3:16, for God so loved the world (friends and enemies) that He sent His own uniquely-begotten Son, that whosever believes in Him does not perish, but have eternal life. Which is these is the truest love?
We find that true love, while experienced in the small scale between couples always involves sacrifice and exclusion. We exclude all other from this relationship. That’s what makes it true and faithful. We devote to one another our time, talk, listening and effort to make it work. That is sacrifice. And so it must be so in the greater love. We are exclusive in our relationship with God. We take time and effort, talk and listening, sacrificing as He did to make it work.
Do you have this true love with the Father? Do you love Jesus? I encourage you to make it a true love, not shadowed by devotion to other gods, but true alone to God. (Yes, loving your spouse and your family is included, and every other relationship that honors God) God loves you so much He have the Greatest Gift He possesses. What do you have to give?
God bless you today.
Meritt Musings 