Never Failing Love
Never Failing Love
A Love that Never Fails. Never. While reflecting on love and what it really means, I am grateful that God is the embodiment and author of love. He is love. He is a demonstration of Love and He shows us how He Loves us.
His love is never ending and unconditional. Regardless of our acceptance of His love or not His love remains all the same.
We, on the other hand, tend to be less complete, rich, or unconditional in our love. Our love tends to depend on the day, maybe circumstance, worldview, political view, social view, or how we were raised. The list can go on and on regarding what influences love in our lives.
Can we consider for a moment what love was intended to look like? God has provided us with the exact definition of what love is.
Paul details the definition for us here:
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.”
I Corinthians 13:4-8 English Standard Version (ESV)
WOW. This definition of love would seem impossible for all circumstances. Really. I think about my life and how does love present itself in my everyday living, during good times, tough times, or absolute unfair times. Hmm. What if I’m in physical pain or the day has had more go wrong than right?
I am humbled and brought back to God. He showed me love through Moses, the prophets, through the years, and without question His Son Jesus. Jesus is not only a bridge to God but as a witness and example to us. I am grateful for His Love. I am grateful that God has been faithful, consistent, and complete in His love toward me. Then, to all of us even when circumstances, choices, and emotions reject Him.
We say “It’s is too hard to follow the narrow path God has laid out. We don’t have what it takes to love unconditionally sometimes.”
God knew we couldn’t unconditionally love at all times. So He made a way for us to love well with a deep, rich and abiding fulfilling Love in our lives.
This is how Jesus addressed the things we face. Jesus explained to us that there would be tough times. There would even be overwhelmingly troubling times. BUT Jesus says:
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 English Standard Version (ESV)
But, He didn’t stop there. His life wasn’t just a promise of Love or an example of love. But, He gave us the power to love with the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus says:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14: 15-17 English Standard Version (ESV)
About the Holy Spirit Jesus goes on to say:
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14: 25-27 English Standard Version (ESV)
We are not alone. We have the power to love the way God loves because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. It is the core of who we are. But we must choose to depend on the Holy Spirit to respond with His Love, not ours.
He told us He knew we would have troubling times. But, don’t worry; I have taken care of the enemy of your soul. Satan is who tries to take away your freedom to choose from God’s way or the world’s way.
God didn’t leave us alone to do it on our own. The Holy Spirit was the strength for Jesus at the beginning of His ministry.
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days…”
Luke 4:1-2 English Standard Version (ESV)
“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.”
Luke 4:14 English Standard Version (ESV)
If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, so do we.
He was able to fulfill the purpose and plan for His life here on earth that we would have the ability to fulfill the purpose and plan for our lives and live for eternity with God. He showed us with the Holy Spirit how we not only know God’s love for us but how we are to love.
It is not what we do but how we do it that really matters. Jesus could have grumbled and complained at the circumstances and people that were a part of His journey. But He didn’t. He could have lashed out at those that persecuted Him. But He didn’t. He could have told the Heavenly Father “these people aren’t worth your Love” but instead, he said as He hung on the cross:
“Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”
Luke 23:34 English Standard Version (ESV)
I had a recent opportunity to meet with someone not easy for me to like. It was a necessary meeting and had nothing to do with our personalities. But it was a God meeting. I told God I didn’t have it in me to like this person but could He give me what I needed to reflect Him with this person. At the end of the meeting, I just considered how my perspective of the person had so dramatically changed. I thought “my how this person has grown.” Perhaps it wasn’t them that grew but me submitting my time to God’s plan, therefore, allowing me to be a good representation of Him.
Today are you willing to ask God to help you offer His Love to others in spite of your sentiments?
