Why is love so difficult?
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Difficulty of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
Do you find love difficult?
Receiving love is a piece of cake. When some gives a gift, does something nice for you, expresses appreciation, etc. that is enjoyable and fills our “love tank.”
But why is expressing love not always easy…and in fact at times very difficult?
Perhaps some of your answers might include:
I don’t have time right now.
They were mean to me in the past and I don’t feel like loving them.
They need to apologize first before I show any love to them.
They won’t appreciate or repay me if I love them.
What else would you add?
I can come up with a lot of reasons to not love and why I don’t need to love, but here’s the reality… I AM the one that makes love difficult.
Sure, I certainly acknowledge that some people are more challenging to love than others, but is that an excuse not to love? NO.
So how do I make it so difficult?
I’m battling with my sinful nature that only wants to love me and do what’s best for me. My sinful nature is my selfish nature. It loves me more than anyone else and wants me to keep my focus on loving me. Loving others is an interruption to loving me.
Instead of loving others, the Apostle Paul puts forward what comes out of this sinful nature of mine…
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
Instead of loving, my sinful nature would rather hate the person that wronged me. Instead of working toward peace, my sinful nature wants me to hold a grudge and allow discord to continue. Instead of rejoicing in the success of others and celebrating them, my sinful nature would rather be jealous and connive ways to bring down the success of others. Instead of taking time to understand another person, my sinful nature would rather have a fit of rage and seek to gain for myself through threats and anger. Instead of coming along side another person and helping them succeed, my sinful nature loves to carry a selfish ambition that uses people along the way for personal gain. Instead of…my sinful nature loves to feed itself. The list is long and the problem is strong.
I AM what makes love difficult because MY sinful nature loves to love self more than others.
In order to love, I must daily drown, fight off, suppress my sinful nature.
How? Perhaps Martin Luther’s explanation to the blessing of baptism helps. It’s a reminder to make daily use of the blessing of our baptism: (From Luther’s Small Catechism)
- What is the meaning of such a water Baptism?
- It means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, in turn, a new person daily come forth and rise from death again. He will live forever before God in righteousness and purity.
- Where is this written?
- St. Paul says to the Romans in Chapter Six (Romans 6:4):
- “We are buried with Christ through Baptism into death, so that, in the same way Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, thus also must we walk in a new life.”
So today is going to be no different than other days. Your sinful nature is going to want you to only love yourself. With the power of God’s Spirit working through your baptism, drown that unloving, self-centered sinful nature in the tomb of Jesus and let the new man full of God’s love and grace live boldly and brightly today!
Apply: Think of a situation in which you find it hard to love. What aspect of your sinful nature is getting in the way and making it difficult?
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for being so self-centered and living life focused on loving self. Empower me through your Spirit and the blessing of my baptism to daily drown my sinful nature and let the new man you gave me rise and shine and show your love. AMEN.
Love saves!
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Mission accomplished.
Zacchaeus came to see Jesus and he left a saved man.
Of all the people in the crowd that day, Jesus connected with Zacchaeus. Does that mean he didn’t love the rest of the crowd or they weren’t important? Not at all. But this day was the day he intentionally sought after Zacchaeus so he might save him.
Why? Because Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Because he loved him, he saw him and invested in him. All these expressions of love God used to bring the faith of Abraham to the heart of Zacchaeus.
Love does save. Without love, Zacchaeus would still be lost.
This is the same love that found a way to bring salvation to your heart. It’s the same love that led Jesus to seek and find you and me so that we too might experience his love and be saved.
More specifically Jesus’ love saves.
Yet, as we live out the love that Jesus has shown to us, God uses those expressions of love to build a bridge to the heart of another soul.
The Apostle John wrote this:
1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
People get a glimpse of God’s love when we love them.
Earlier in Jesus’ ministry he taught this: (Matthew 5:16)
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Consider the opportunities you have had to talk about Jesus? Do they follow one of your weaker moments when you ignored someone, got angry, or just were rude? Or did they follow an expression of love, kindness, generosity, etc.? I would guess the latter.
Love opens doors to share Jesus’ love.
The Apostle John also wrote:
1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. 20 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. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
The way we love others is our expression of gratitude for the love we have been shown. When others experience God’s love through us, it points them to the saving love of God. When the saving love of God touches the heart of an individual…”Today salvation has come to this house.”
Love saves.
Apply: Make a commitment with the Lord’s help to express his love to the people with whom you interact today. See how God uses those expressions of love for you to point people to his love. Be intentional about it!
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for continuing to show your love to me. Help me with your Spirit to show your love to others. Use those encounters to build a bridge to another soul’s heart so that they too might believe in you and be saved. AMEN.
How much you love determines how much you spend!
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
How much you love determines how much you spend.
A couple days ago was Valentine’s Day. How much did you spend to show love to the special someone in your life?
Your initial response might be… I spent money on flowers, chocolates, dinner and a card.
Does the amount of money you spend indicate how much you love a person? Perhaps. But as the Beatles sang, “Money can’t buy me love.”
Love certainly moves us to spend money, but love is not merely or always accurately measured by how much money you spend on someone.
Yet how much you love, determines how much you spend.
Let’s go back to Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus.
At first Zacchaeus had little love for Jesus, but a curiosity. So he was willing to invest a little bit of his time and climbing abilities to see Jesus. Yet that changed when Jesus spent time with him. When “salvation came to his house,” and most importantly his heart, Zacchaeus was willing to love those he cheated by returning what he took. Really it was a reaction to how much he had been loved by Jesus and was now willing to “spend” or invest more in loving God by loving others.
Jesus spent on Zacchaeus because he loved Zacchaeus. He spent his afternoon with Zacchaeus. He spent his reputation on Zacchaeus as he went against the cultural norm to be seen with Zacchaeus. But most importantly Jesus would spend his life on Zacchaeus.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
The reason that salvation came to Zacchaeus because Jesus came to Zacchaeus. The reason that Zacchaeus was able to love, was because Jesus loved him.
John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus was willing to spend much more than money on us. He spent every aspect of his life on us because he loved us that much.
So what about us? What are you willing to spend?
Sure, at times we express our love and it means spending money. But perhaps the love you have for the Lord and for others leads you to spend your time. Investing a portion of the time you have can be an incredible expression of love. Spending your abilities and skills to serve someone can be an amazing expression of love. Spending your emotions to empathize and be with someone going through a tough time can be an incredible investment. Perhaps very few of us have or will have the opportunity to give up our life for someone, yet the greatest investment we can make in someone else is our lives themselves.
How much you love determines how much you spend.
God has loved you first. Spend your life loving him and those he puts around you.
Apply: What love opportunities have you missed or avoided because the cost was too much? What love opportunities have cost you the most? What was the outcome?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for spending everything to love me. AMEN.
What you see determines how you love!
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
What you see determines how you love!
Three people see someone in this account. As you read through these words, note, “What do people see?” As a result of what they see, how do they love?
Luke 19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”
Zacchaeus saw Jesus. His curiosity got the better of him and he took the day off to find a spot on Jesus’ route to see Jesus. As a short man, he found a sycamore fig tree to climb. He would have been content to see Jesus pass by, but he got to see Jesus up close and personal. (We’ll come back to Zacchaeus…)
Jesus saw Zacchaeus. Jesus could have just walked through Jericho and never noticed Zacchaeus. He could have been focused on his agenda and kept moving, but Zacchaeus caught his attention. So he stopped. He looked up and saw Zacchaeus.
But Jesus saw more than a man in a tree. He saw a man in search of answers. He saw a conscience that was troubled. He saw a man that fell heavily under the judgment of the religious leaders. He saw a man who was rich in earthly treasures, but poor in spiritual treasures.
Jesus saw past Zacchaeus’ height. He saw past his social status. He saw past his cheating and decided to love Zacchaeus because Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus for who he was: The Messiah…the Savior. Jesus brought salvation to Zacchaeus. He brought forgiveness. He worked a change of heart. He loved Zacchaeus through all the mess that was Zacchaeus.
The religious leaders saw a sinner. The religious elites were appalled that Jesus would spend time with Zacchaeus. All they could see was a sinner. But they weren’t concerned with Zacchaeus’ soul, they were just concerned with their status. To love Zacchaeus would be to let go of their personal status with people. They loved themselves more than Zacchaeus and so expressed loathing, not love.
When Zacchaeus saw Jesus, not just in passing, but saw him for who he was, his loving, forgiving Savior, Zacchaeus loved in return.
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
What you see determines how you love.
Zacchaeus saw Jesus and loved Jesus in return and the people he cheated.
Jesus saw Zacchaeus and loved Zacchaeus with his time and his forgiveness.
The Pharisees saw a sinner they wanted nothing to do with and so lacked love.
What do you see?
What you see determines how you love.
Apply: Notice when you notice people. What do you “see” in them? How does it affect how you love them?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for fully seeing me and expressing your amazing love. Help me to see people as you do and express genuine love to them. AMEN.
Love like who?
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
“Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
As.
This little word in the English language sets up a close connection between two clauses in a sentence. It is a word that indicates a point of comparison between the first clause and the second clause, and usually that point of comparison is pretty close. The comparison is often very helpful because it puts a more concrete component next to an element that might be more abstract.
Ok, enough of the English lesson.
If Jesus would have said simply, “Love each other,” that would have been fine. However, the point of interpretation would be left up to the reader to determine what that looked like. If left up to the Apostle Peter, he might have understood love as “up to seven times” and then he was done loving. If left up to some of the religious thought of the day, you can love people who love you back, but not those that don’t love you. Perhaps if left up to Judas, love would only happen if someone paid monetarily in return.
We can skew our expression of love to match and justify how WE want to love or how WE think we should love.
As.
This connector is so important and powerful in Jesus statement.
“…AS I have loved you.”
Now the nebulous interpretations and expressions of love are thrown out and the first clause, “Love each other” is defined by “as I have loved you.” The only way to love each other is to model the love that Jesus has shown to us.
So we must ask, “How has Jesus loved you?”
This is very personal, but there are aspects that are universal. Take time this week to consider personally how you have received and experienced the love of Jesus.
Jesus’ love is sacrificial. He gave up all to come to this world to live. He gave up his life to die on the cross. He gave up his agenda to follow his Father’s will. He gave up his time to train disciples. He gave up his reputation to confront the Pharisees and the list goes on.
Jesus’ love is inconvenient. Perhaps this is more from our perspective, but it is not always convenient to show love. After a long day, he fed 5000. When it was culturally unacceptable, he sat down and brought hope to a Samaritan woman. When his enemies stood against him, he healed the servant’s ear. When disease was a risk he healed 10 lepers. When mom’s brought their children to him, he blessed them. And the list goes on.
Jesus’ love is impactful. Jesus’ expressions of love changed people’s lives. He called fishermen to be the core group to spreading the love of Jesus. He washed those 12 feet to set an example of servant love and service. He raised the dead. He brought salvation to the taxcollector and forgiveness to the adulterer. His love changed lives…including mine and yours.
The list can go on and I invite you to continue the list. How has Jesus’ loved you?
Because “AS” Jesus has loved you will guide how you love others!
Apply: As has been suggested make a list of all the ways Jesus has loved you. How does that begin to guide your thoughts on how you are to love others.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love AS you have loved me. AMEN.