A New Commandment

I was reading in the gospel of John, and the commandment Jesus gave His diciples on the night of his betrayal shows us just how important love is to God.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my diciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34-35

This is astounding that God wants us to love one another with the same love He has for us. In the old testament God commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That commandment seems much easier than the command Jesus gave us. How can we possibly love others as Jesus did? His love was sacrificial, unconditional, and passionate. He also forgives, (without ever remembering our forgiven sins again. How many of us can say we can forgive and forget?)
He was patient, kind, always compassionate......

I could go on and on about the wonderful love of our Savior, but I am sure you get the picture. I know I don't love anywhere near how Jesus loved. I get so impatient with my family, and even strangers at times. How often do we get angry at other drivers, store clerks, restaurant servers, and the list could continue. Jesus wouldn't be raising His fist and cursing someone who cut Him off while driving.

So how can we become Christians who loves as our Lord loves? Can we really learn to love as Jesus did? What would this love look like? Could we grow in love so that it becomes part of our daily lives? And most important just what would this love cost us? That is what I am endeavoring to find out.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and long suffering. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfection.

Colossians 3:12-14

Love is the most God-like state of the soul. God is not faith or hope; God is love. The Eternal does not believe or anticipate, but He does love--He IS love. Love is the life of the soul. It warms every vein and beats in every pulse.
David Thomas

And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I Corinthians 13:13