The Bible’s simplest description of God is found in 1 John 4:16 “God is Love” However, throughout history it seems that the church has found it difficult to be loving. It is easier to be orthodox than to be loving, and easier to be active in church work than to be loving. Yet the supreme characteristic that God demands of His people is love. In opposing that love the enemy of the church makes some of his supreme efforts. Love is so much an absolute of the Christian lfie that Jesus said in John 13;34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” Jesus left no doubt that self-sacrificing love (agope) is the supreme mark of discipleship to him. Our love of others starts with our love for God, and we cannot truly love God if we do not love others. It is important to remember that Love is not primarily an emotion, but rather a decision, to do three things:
1. Recognize others as a people
2. Give those people proper place in my life
3. Do what is right by them.
Where are you at in this process. Some people are truly harder to love than others, but it is still what marks us as different! It is hard but it has to be done. Make the commitment to choose to love other’s even when it is difficult, Recognizing that the first Characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) is love. The ability to love the unlovely, is not within us but within the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in us.