When you love someone, truly love someone, you want their good above your own. This level of commitment is not for the fainthearted. It means doing without so that the one you love can do with more. Scripture depicts this process as dying to one’s self. Hear the word: for God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God loves us. Us! It is about us, because that’s what it’s like when you deeply love someone, it’s more about them than you. When we love God, our focus is on pleasing Him, and our relationship becomes reciprocated. We reach a level where we become God’s friend. He is so patient with us, though. His love is faithful even when we are not.
He didn’t wait until we were ready to love Him back to love us first, and He still doesn’t. Thankfully, our actions have no bearing on His love, for it says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ laid down his life for others, and we can choose to follow in His example when we lay down our lives for others. Loving Christ means that we seek the good of others above the needs of our own. The cool thing is, that when we are seeking to love others, God is seeking to provide for our needs. He does not forget us. Never. In this example, dying to self means that we will refuse to seek our own needs, but we trust that as we meet others needs that God will meet ours. The irony is that, in a cirlce of humility, He often uses other people to meet those needs, and it glorifies God. Loving our brothers, means we love God. Loving God, means we love our brothers. The two can’t be separated.
While Christ is our example, He’s also our God. I don’t expect my children to love me more than I love them. I don’t expect expensive gifts on birthdays, lavish meals, or pampering from them. They are 10 and 13; I expect them to concentrate on growing mature. I have an unreciprocated love relationship with them right now. I do more for them, because I love them more. How much more does our heavenly Father love His dear children? I am limited in my earthly body, unlike God, I can’t see the big picture and all the ways He is working behind the scenes. He knows that. He even knows how much it frustrates me, and that I feel guilty when I don’t know as much as He does. He’s patient with me when I feel this way, and gives me encouragement when I seek Him. One word from Him is better than a thousand from someone without knowledge. And a few words from a well meaning friend, are better than none from someone who judges me. I love the way He loves me. It is about me.
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