Understand With Love
Understanding With Love
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One of the most powerful and sustaining weapons in our spiritual warfare arsenal is Love. It is the essence of the two greatest commands; Love God with all our heart mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself Matthew 22:34-40, but it doesn’t begin or end there.
God loved us first. He created us in His image and likeness. This means His likeness is within us as part of our DNA. We were created with His glory and character locked within us. God created us uniquely individualistic as ‘one of a kind.’ But within our spirit and heart are all of the components of God’s Glory and love just as when He created Adam and Eve.
When we submit our will to God and ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, we begin to remove the veil from our minds and hearts to see who God created us to be. We realize what He wants for our lives and how He wants us to live. He shows us with His actions His love for us and how He wants us to show His love for others.
According to ChristianBibleReference.org:
“The word “love” appears 310 times in the King James Bible, 348 times in the New American Standard Bible, 551 times in the New International Version and 538 times in the New Revised Standard Version…”
God loved us so much He sent His only Son to be the “good news” to all mankind.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV)
Sometimes it is easier for us to give love than to accept that we are loved. Sometimes we think of God’s love for us in more abstract concepts as something distant or perhaps ambiguous. Some of us were raised in homes that weren’t so loving. There were times when we were told “when you…if you…or you will never…” We occasionally translate the way we were raised to our relationship or lack thereof with God. We consider God will love us when…we accomplish this or become that; stop doing this or quit doing that.
God isn’t waiting for us to do anything for Him to love us. He had loved us before we were born. He loved us before we did anything and He wants us to know just how much He loves us. Before Jesus started His ministry here on earth, His Father in heaven wanted him to clearly know and understand that before you do anything, I love you. Listen to Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism:
“In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11 English Standard Version (ESV)
Like Jesus, God wants us to know who we are to Him before we consider succeeding or failing. It is in knowing not just who we are but whose we are that is the foundation upon which we can build.
God isn’t interested in our perfection. He is interested in our heart. God is focused on our restoration and redemption, not on our faults and inadequacies. We are made in His image and likeness, but we are not perfect. Only Jesus was perfect. God loved us so much He wanted us to spend eternity with Him. He showed us the way. He gave us the Holy Spirit to ignite the passion within us to be all that God has created us to be.
This is the way in which God loves us:
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its 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 13:4-7 English Standard Version (ESV)
“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 English Standard Version (ESV)
God gave Adam, Eve, and all of us the freedom to choose, good or evil, right or wrong, love or hate. To take away the freedom of those to do harm negates the very gift that made our relationship to Him so perfect. So, we all have the freedom to choose what we do, how we act, how we think, how we respond, how we love those around us. Even if those around us are lovable, likable or not.
The way to overcome the enemy of mankind’s hearts is to love. We have an opportunity to influence, not just by our words but additionally by our actions. We bring hope to those who have none, comfort to those in pain, give joy to those who are heavy in their hearts.
We are told in Isaiah 61 God’s desire:
“The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
A celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
And to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness.”
planted by God to display his glory.”
Isaiah 61: 1-3 The Message Translation (MSG)
We are all anointed to live Isaiah 61. In this anointing, we need to follow God’s lead on how we are to love as He shows us in 1 Corinthians 13. Loving with kindness not envying or being boastful. Loving without arrogance or being rude. Loving without resentment or rejoicing at others misconduct but rejoicing in the truth. When we love God’s way, love really will be able to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and will endure all things. Love will never end.
The enemy of our souls cannot overcome God’s love for us nor His love we reflect with those around us. Love breaks down walls. Love overcomes hopelessness bringing strength and courage. Love brings light to the darkness. Love heals the broken-hearted. Love inspires hope and grace.
Are you willing today to consider adding love as one of the most powerful and sustaining weapons to your arsenal in your spiritual war?
