What's Love Got To Do With It?

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:2-9, 12-17

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. "
Galatians 5:18-26

"And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
This is the great and foremost commandment.
The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 22:37-40

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one who loves is begotten of God, and knows God. He who loves knows God; for God is love."
1 John 4:7-8

Jesus came to redeem us, and to enable us to overcome everything that hinders love.
But what is it exactly that holds us back, and chains us down?
Pogo, Walt Kelly's comic strip character, said, "we have met the enemy, and it is us."
It is self-preservation, self-desire, the desires of the flesh that produce the acts of the sinful nature.
These acts have nothing to do with love, just producing sin that entangles and condemns us.
The narrow way, the way of the cross-real Christian life-is paved by the laying down of our self interests and the crucifixion of ourselves.
Love unhindered, flowing freely, unbound and released from self interests... adoration and devotion that flows vertically to the One we were made to love first, and all that love is-reaching out, stretching us, connecting outwardly with others we are also to love, all of whom need to receive and give that which is desperately sought after- LOVE.