This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. John 15:12 (AMPC)
The one cure for all the wrongs and ills in the world is love.
Love heals, love holds together, love builds, love nourishes, love completes and love sustains.
Where love rules all the laws and their enforcement to curb disobedience and disorder are not necessary. Love is more powerful and effective than the law.
What does love one another look like?
It’s to be patient with one another. 1 Corinthians 13:4…Love is patient.
We wouldn’t rush to misunderstand, wrongly judge, write off, and react harshly to others because they are not up to and do not perform to our standards and expectations when we are patient.
It’s to be kind to one another. 1 Corinthians 13:4 ….Love is kind.
You can’t be hard hearted and cruel when you’re busy being kind.
It’s to believe the best of one another. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMPC) Love…is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances….
There can’t be suspicion, hatred, tribalism, racism, xenophobia when we believe the best of each other.
It’s to pay no attention to a suffered wrong. 1 Corinthians 13:5 (AMPC) Love (God’s love in us)… takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
Oh how so many relationships would last long, whole, strong, and be like heaven on earth if we all were quick to immediately let go of offense.
It’s to lay down one’s life for another – this is the sum total of what love is. This is how Jesus loved each and every one of us.
John 15:13 (AMPC) No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.
By the way Jesus here calls us His friends not because we were friendly to him, but while we were still enemies against Him.
Romans 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:10 (NIV) For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
How could you lie to, envy, hate, mistreat, cheat, steal from, murder, be unfaithful, covet what belongs to the one you are willing and ready to lay down your life for?
Indeed love is the greatest.
