Decide to Love
Matthew 5:46-47 If you
love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
MOST of us view love as an emotion that shows up in our
relationship with particular people. We “fall in love” and we love our kids,
parents and people who are nice to us. In this context, love is an emotional response
to people who honor us and who may even love us first.
As Jesus says, “Do
not even the pagans do that?” he refers to that kind of natural, emotional
heart-love. But he commands an even greater love, one that is based in the mind
that causes us to decide to love.
Yes, to obey God’s
love commands, we must decide to love people in the context of God, who is
love. God-based love is an unnatural love. It flows only from the spring of new
life we receive in the Holy Spirit. As Paul declares “But the fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22) he is
helping us understand Jesus’ sermon point. It is a spiritual gift to have the
ability to love those who oppose us and those who even try to kill us. As the
Spirit acts into our lives to help us understand Jesus teaching, our awakening minds
understand Jesus’ incomparable love for us. We then realize it is only through
Jesus’ eyes of love that he has counted us worthy to save and to pour the
Spirit of truth to be his disciples.
Jesus-like love is
a decision to live in Jesus’ sermon on love.
LIFE Link: Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (1 Corinthians 13:4)
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