4 minute read
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 1:6 NIV)
Follow God, learn to walk in love.
God defines love for us in His word. His commandments tell us how to love. Jesus’s parables are love stories, each of them showing a different way to love. One of my favorite examples is the rich young ruler found in Mark 10:17-27 NIV. Jesus didn’t enable him. When the prince told him he had kept all of the commandments, Jesus reminded him he hadn’t. The reason we need Jesus, none of us are capable of perfection. We overcome our humanity when we place our faith in Jesus, following His teachings. Only then will we find eternal life; only then will we truly walk in love.
A.W. Tozer, an American pastor, and writer made this statement:
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
God commands love.
What God’s commandments lead to is love. The Great Commandment is to love God, love others (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). Then, He filled the Bible with directions of how to love.
How we are to love God:
- Set our minds on Him (Colossians 3:1-2 NIV)
- Do not conform to this world (Romans 12:2 NIV)
- Don’t abandon Him (Revelation 2:2-5 NIV)
- Don’t forget Him (Jeremiah 2:32 NIV)
- Give Him your heart, delight in His ways (Proverbs 23:26 NIV)
How we are to love people:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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 NIV)
When I think of God, I think of love. Deep, unconditional devotion that perseveres in the hardest of times and rejoices in the best of times. Each day I take faith steps towards Him, obeying His commands, the emotion grows deeper. Trust in Him becomes the backbone of love that flows out to others.
“We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.” A.W. Tozer
We create an image of God in our minds. Our life experiences collide with our concept of God. Our circumstances dictate what we think of God. We have to move beyond the physical to experience the Spiritual presence of God. Taking steps of faith means doing what He commands, which will lead us to walk in love.
Question of the Day:
How can you walk in love today?
Further Reading:Hosea 4:1-5:15 NIV, 2 John 1:1-13 NIV, Psalm 125:1-5 NIV, Proverbs 29:9-11 NIV
