Pure Love | Daily Devotion
“I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.” 2 John 5-6 NLT
Love is a fundamental truth to the Christian faith. Many know this, however they do not know how to apply it to their life, in their current situation as many people have different root definitions of love, viewing it as an emotion or feeling from within as opposed to active steps – and many hold different expectations of love and how it is to be experienced.
What we Christians know is God is love.
And as the apostle John said in 1 John 4:8, “Anyone who does not love, does not know God for God is love.”
Thus, knowledge of God should draw Christians to love as He does. Knowledge of God, knowledge of who He is should draw Christians to fear the Lord, and desire to obey His commands.
As the apostle John says, “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another.”
Love is active obedience to God.
Sometimes, when people think of love, they groan or feel an immediate weight that they place on self; simply because of negative experiences in the past that were burdensome, depleting, and one sided with no reciprocity.
There are some people who fill their cup with Jesus Christ everyday so that they can pour out to others and then find themselves drained dry by takers who never respected them and their time or their well-being.
Mothers can often feel drained. There is always an expectation of mom to love unconditionally and that includes her giving of herself constantly – therefore it’s healthy for dad to step in and guard his wife’s time so she can take care of what she needs to and vice versa, it’s healthy for women to step in for their husbands to guard their time so that they can take care of what they need to.
Active steps toward balance in life are needed and help people psychologically.
Frustration level tends to be determined by current stressors, level of drain and the relationship people have with the taker, or lack thereof.
There are greedy people in this world who take advantage and can’t seem to get enough of others loving them, as they demand, while they never reciprocate, which simply reveals spiritual immaturity and possible idolatry.
It is not the command to love that is legalistic and burdensome, as God gives us the ability and strength in the Holy Spirit to do everything He commands. It is the other individual’s expectation of love and how they are to be loved that becomes burdensome or your own expectation of how you are to love people that weighs you down in your life and what God has called you to. People tend to desire to receive love as they desire, however, their selfish demanding desire can be weighty as they do not consider you. While in turn, if you desire to love someone a specific way and they don’t want to be loved that way that can become a burden to them, when they are not considered.
Hurt feelings tend to abound when it comes to love.
Paul says in Philippians 4:5, “Consider others.” What does this mean when it comes to God’s command of loving our neighbor as ourselves?
Care about what this person cares about.
Let meekness, strength under control, rule your heart. Be gentle with people, not demanding your own way, while standing strong on God given convictions.
I personally love how the apostle John emphasizes loving our neighbor as ourselves, in this letter warning of false teachers who take advantage of Christians and their loving hospitality.
This letter, thus emphasizes boundaries in love, being of God.
Boundaries protect people so that they can love multiple people purely without being entirely drained
It is a clear truth reinforcing the 10 commandments and it is the most loving action one can take as it points people to Jesus Christ who satisfies every need.
Loving others begins with not idolizing – we don’t look to this person to meet our every need, as Jesus is our Savior and provider. Idolizing drains people with inhumane expectations, and then tantrums if the expectation is not fulfilled.
Loving others includes honoring your parents. Now some have mentioned to me that they will never honor their parents, due to the severe mistreatment they experienced as a child. The difficulty is understandable. No one ever has to condone mistreatment and no one has to be around an abusive person, especially if the abuser does not repent. In this case, honoring them is respecting them enough to not hurt them in return, forgiving them, leaving vengeance to God. When we honor our parents, we pillar them in the eyes of the watching world.
Loving others includes not lying to people. There is a lot of psychological abuse taking place in relationships because people justify lying. People gas light to protect themselves, while evading the truth regarding what they have done to people. But that psychological damage causes the victim to not trust people. Thus, the lack of love in this instance causes distrust.
Loving others includes not stealing what they have. When people are stolen from they stop their generosity, but when they are loved, they tend to be generous with all those around them.
Loving others includes not hating people or murdering them, but valuing their life as a child of God, who is called to fulfill the plan God has laid out for them. It is the plan God decides, not anyone else’s decision. Many seem to have a lost life because others seek to rule their life, drawing them away from what they are passionate about. That’s not love.
Loving others includes not committing adultery, not lusting over others. It also includes not coveting what others have.
So, love according to the 10 commandments is not so much giving to people, it’s not detracting from the life God has already given to them.
A lack of love for others steals blessings, but love reinforces all that God has given.
There is something about loving purely as God has commanded of us – the very act keeps our eyes on Jesus Christ and that’s what we need.
Will you pray with me?
Abba, thank You for the many blessings You have given to us, open our eyes to the areas in our life where we break Your 10 commandments and hurt others by not loving them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
