Do We Know How to Love?

February, the heart month, ends today. 

 

I had wanted to blog about love on the 14th, but Valentine's Day sneaked out on me while I was onto other pursuits.

These verses always leave me in agony:

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 1 John 19:21 (NIV)

The love we have for others, especially for those who have wronged us, is nothing compared to how he demonstrated His love by laying down His life for every single one who wronged Him. Would we do the same even for those whom we claim we love?

Hatred is so palpable with the advent of technology. Many cyber messages are greatly appalling—the tirades, the rants, the outbursts, the sarcasm, the curses, etc. How can hatred be on such a grand scale?

Flowers, chocolates and love notes went around this month as well. But those do not compare with the extreme sacrifice made on the cross.

So do we really know how to love?  Do we really love God as we profess?

Loving others is a hard, extremely hard, climb. It takes effort to try . . . and try . . . and try.

And it is in the trying where we need grace . . . and grace . . . and grace.