Love is the greatest commandment given to us by God. Jesus taught his disciples that love for God, and for our neighbours are the two greatest commandments. Love is the epicenter of a Christian’s life. We cannot worship without love, or even pray for anyone. The question is, is it possible to still love those who may have hurt us bad? Can we love those who seem unloveable? Let us look at two ways how we can walk in and live in love:
1. Learn to forgive
Is it possible to forgive someone who really wronged us? Yes, it is. However, that does not make it easy. Jesus showed us how possible it is. At the cross, with people ridiculing him, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”(Lk. 23:34) These were the same people who gave him a triumphant entry into Jerusalem while hailing him as the King of the jews.
Forgiveness helps us more than the people who hurt us. We get peace from within, and we are able to move on with our lives. we cannot love and fail to forgive. Also, if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:14-15)
2. Learn to Give
Giving is the nature of God. Out of love for man, He gave his only son to be the savior of the world. (John 3:16) If you wish to walk in love, you can not fail to give. For instance, time and attention are valuable to any relationship. In the same manner, growing in love requires us to learn to sacrifice and give.
One of the best examples of love in the body of Christ was seen in the church of Macedonia. Although they were poor, the gave beyond their measure and capabilities. What was their secret? They first gave themselves to God. After that, they were more than willing to give their belongings for the sake of the Gospel. (2 Cor.8:1-5)
If you love God, you give your time to pray and study the word. If you love your family, you create time for them, for the sake of spending the time together. Have you ever been moved to give to a worthy cause? That is driven by the love of God in you!
Love is characterized by patience, care, kindness according to scripture. (1 Cor. 13) Whenever you find it hard to love and tolerate someone, consider this: Jesus came and died for us, knowing that we may fail to love him back. He did it all just for us.
We are called to love. For our God is love!
