Loving Others the way Jesus Loves You
1 Corinthians 13:7
13:7 (NIV) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
13:7 (NCV) Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong.
13:7 (NASB) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
13:7 (MSG) Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.
13:7 (NLT) Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
[Just wanted to give you an overview of a few versions]
In February of each year, actually each February the fourteenth, we celebrate Valentines Day, and specifically it is meant to be a time where “sweethearts” love on each other and it reminds us how much we love the life partner God has given us. Sandy’s and my love for one another has stretched, and twisted and grown over the 49 years we’ve been together, and we anticipate more stages to come along the way, but believe our love for each other will continue to grow.
Valentines Day has expanded to include love between people, not specifically interested in just one other person but genuine love between person and person. So kids sometimes take little valentine cards to school and give them to their friends, and we let others we love know so.
God’s call on us is to love Him with “all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourself is God’s call to every one of us. It’s absolutely amazing is that God can release the power of His love in us that we can actually love others the way Jesus loves us. Pure love, you know finds its Source in God, because God IS Love. If God’s love would abound in the world, it would be a totally different place to live. But it sometimes difficult to live the way the Bible texts above cause us to live.
The same love that God gives you, you are to offer to everyone else that you come into contact with. It’s not an option, or a suggestion; actually it is a command. It’s Kingdom core material. John 13:34 says, “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
If you are a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ, you must love everybody – whether you like them or not – in the same way that Christ loved you…accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.
Loving others this way will transform your relationships!
You probably read 1 Corinthians 13:7 above. Take a minute and read it again.
This is how God loves you. God never stops being patient with you. God never stops believing in you. God never stops hoping for the best in your life. God never gives up on you. That’s what God expects you to do with everybody else. “Love never stops being patient.” That means love extends grace. You need to offer grace to others. “Love never stops believing.” That means it expresses faith. You tell someone, “Even though we’re having a tough time, I will never stop believing in you.” “Love never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Are you expecting the best in your marriage, or have you settled for less than the best?
“Love never gives up.” That means love endures the worst. It means you can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.” “Lord, help us to trust the power of Your love in me to enable me to love others the way You love me. Amen.”