Unconditional and Sacrificial Love!
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34, ESV
We are commanded by Jesus to love one another in the same manner that He loved. How did Jesus love us? How did he show us? The biggest way that He showed that He loved us was when He left the comforts of His majesty and throne of Heaven. His sole purpose/mission was to come to Earth and die a pretty gruesome death. He sacrificed himself in order to take on our punishment for our sins that we were unable to pay. This leads us into a conversation about sacrifice. The key to loving people well is often found in sacrifice, when we lay aside what we want for others.
Recently I met a man, I can’t give all the details for security reasons, that over the course of almost 4 years was placed into an overseas prison over 10 times and beaten because he was loving people, serving people, and introducing them to Jesus. He was asked why did he keep going to this particular country if all he was going to do was get arrested and beat. His answer was love! He loved the people enough that he would gladly sacrifice himself so they could know Jesus. What an amazing story! Jesus is not going to tell us all to go over seas and get arrested and beaten for love. However, He is calling us to love others and to serve others where we are at. He is calling us to love people in our work places, schools, and neighborhoods.
It is so easy for us to love people that look like us, act like us and believe like us. But God doesn’t give us the choice of who to love. He tells us to love one another. We are called to love even the ones that we don’t like or even consider enemies. God did! God didn’t put conditions on His love! His love is unconditional and sacrificial.
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, ESV
Are you willing to sacrifice your schedule for someone who needs to chat with you? Are you willing to sacrifice your own desires to align them with God’s? Honestly, the list of sacrificial love opportunities is endless.
How can you show your love this week? Who needs you love this week? Who needs your sacrifice this week?