"Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13
Everyone loves being loved, to be on the receiving end of having others do something extraordinary for them. What an amazing feeling...to know that you are valued, esteemed, cared for, thought of fondly, desired.
But to love others, to bestow on them lovingkindness, to esteem, serve, to give love extravagantly and sacrificially, can seemingly be downright inconvenient, from a worldly, fleshly viewpoint. It means putting somebody else ahead of ourselves.
We can love because God, our Father/ Bridegroom/King, loved us first.
When God gives us this revelation, it hits us square in the heart: the realization of what Jesus told us. Freely we have received, now we can freely give...a supernatural fusion/fission chain reaction, giving-receiving, repeated endlessly.
The burden of giving love, is not a burden at all, it is the easy yoke that lifts us upwards, and makes difficulties and hard things nothing but light and momentary afflictions.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
John 15:13
Everyone loves being loved, to be on the receiving end of having others do something extraordinary for them. What an amazing feeling...to know that you are valued, esteemed, cared for, thought of fondly, desired.
But to love others, to bestow on them lovingkindness, to esteem, serve, to give love extravagantly and sacrificially, can seemingly be downright inconvenient, from a worldly, fleshly viewpoint. It means putting somebody else ahead of ourselves.
We can love because God, our Father/ Bridegroom/King, loved us first.
When God gives us this revelation, it hits us square in the heart: the realization of what Jesus told us. Freely we have received, now we can freely give...a supernatural fusion/fission chain reaction, giving-receiving, repeated endlessly.
The burden of giving love, is not a burden at all, it is the easy yoke that lifts us upwards, and makes difficulties and hard things nothing but light and momentary afflictions.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
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