THE SUNSHINE OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one
and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.
(1 John 4:9)

MEDITATION:
Do you want to be loved? That’s a silly question, isn’t it?
Everyone wants to be loved by at least one person, right?
Love can lift a person’s spirit. It can also give them a
feeling of worth (love can give someone a feeling of value
and cause them to feel their existence means something).

Love communicates to others that they are important. If
we see the positive influence we can have on others, isn’t
it reasonable to think that our own spirit and self-worth
will improve when we show love to others?

How do you like for others to show their love for you? How
do you show your love for others? What can someone do or
say that convinces you their love for you is real? What do
you do or say to others that assures them your love for them
is real?

Some people are in the habit of saying, “Love you!” but their
actions (or lack of actions) contradict what they say to you.
For instance, a person may say they love you and will be there
if you need them. However, when you have a need, you may be
disappointed to discover their commitment to help you was
insincere (and now you doubt their love is real).

You find that some can be very good at providing excuses for why they
can’t fulfill their promise to give you whatever loving support you need.
In some cases, the truth is, they will be there for you when it is convenient
for them. Their love for you comes to a screeching halt if it means they are
required to make a sacrifice.

That doesn’t sound like an ‘action of love’ that supports a person’s
‘words of love’, does it? More than likely others really ‘want’ to show
their love, but can’t bring themselves to make a sacrifice to ‘prove’
their love. It sounds a lot more like selfishness, doesn’t it? In other
words,
    “I want to do what I want to do, and when your needs fit
      into my desires, THEN (and only then) I will be there
      for you, and show you my love”.

God said that He loves us, but did He confirm His love for us?
You bet He did! He sent His only Son into the world to show
us what sincere love looks like, and then allowed His Son to
be crucified for our sins (out of His love for us and the Father).

Some can’t sacrifice a few minutes or hours to show their love,
but Jesus sacrificed His entire life on earth to show His love for
us. He didn’t inconvenience Himself briefly and then go back to
what He wanted to do. In obedience to the Father, and as His
ultimate show of love for others (all of us), He sacrificed His
entire life for our sins!

If we ever expect to love others like He loved us, then we have to
allow Him to be a part of our life. We need to develop the same
characteristics of Jesus so we can show the sincerity of our love
by freely sacrificing our desires when others need us.

ACTION:
Questions we should consider:
    – Do I ever contact some of my friends to see how they are doing,
       to ask if they have anything I should pray about, to encourage
       them, or just to let them know I value their friendship?
    – Do I contact some friends frequently, but they seldom make any
       effort to contact me to see how I am doing, or if I need prayer, or
       to encourage me, or that they care about me? How do I handle that?

If we sincerely care about others and our friendship with them,
we will check on them regardless of whether they have the same
value of our friendship that we do. Love is not a balance sheet;
love is something that flows from the heart….a heart that has a
desire to love others the same way Jesus does, and as He loves us.
If we are true followers of Jesus, then why wouldn’t we want to
mimic His love for others?

More questions to consider:
    – How much of the Lord is a part of my own life?
    – Am I really committed to Him and do I strive to
       become even more committed each day?
    – How much do I value my fellowship with the Lord?
    – How much does His Spirit control my thoughts, words,
       emotions, and actions?

If we have not accepted and appreciated His love for us,
we will never be able to love others in the same way He
has shown (and continues to show), His love for us. When
we appreciate His love for us, we will willingly step out of
our comfort zone and inconvenience ourselves if needed,
to check on, encourage, and try to lift the spirits of others.
Why? Because just like Jesus, we become more concerned
about others as we are told in God’s Word.
    Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being
    united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any
    common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and
    compassion, then make my joy complete by being
    like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit
    and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
    vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
    yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each
    of you to the interests of others. In your relationships
    with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
    (Philippians 2:1-5)

If we don’t allow His spirit to consume us, then we will
continue to be consumers but fail to become givers, and
not just to a select group of close friends, but to everyone,
just like Jesus did. Our life will be a selfish one instead of
a selfless one.

When we rationalize or justify our failure to reach out to
others (and especially those with needs), it is an indication
that our hearts are growing cold. God reached out to us
and as followers of Jesus, we are expected to do the same.

Our interaction with others is an outflow of what is in our
hearts. There is probably someone waiting somewhere for
us to what God has called us to do. How will we respond to
what God expects of us?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for genuinely loving me.
In my own mind, I don’t deserve Your love, but You love
me anyway. You even loved me when I was a sinner and
alienated from You. There is nothing more You can do to
prove to me that Your love for me is real. I want to be able
to love others sincerely and not just when it is convenient
for me. Teach me how to let You control my thoughts, words,
actions, attitudes and emotions. Convict me of any selfishness
that prevents me from reaching out to encourage and lift the
spirits of others. Show me how to love others as You have loved
me. I pray that Your love will envelope me every day and flow
through me everywhere I go. I don’t want to be the reason the
flow of Your love is not reaching those with needs. I want to
have the type of love that is needed by others and will point
lost souls to Jesus.”

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