We as Christians, know what we are commanded by Jesus himself in John 13:34, that we should love one another, and the world will know, that are his disciples. And it is easy to understand, because God is Love. But loving others is a command, and it is not about what or how we feel about others.
You see, the Agape love of God, is more to do with us doing something to others or for others, rather than feeling loving them, or feeling love for them. I do not think Jesus commanded us to feel love for others but gave us a command to love others. And a command, is something we obey and do, rather than a feeling. And anyway, we can not force ourselves to feel love for other people anyway.
But the command from God to love one another, is tightly related to what we are also commanded by Jesus to do to others, just as we would like them to do to us. Do you see that, Jesus told us to DO to others as we would like them to do to us. So, it is all about doing something to others, and not just a feeling or love.
Sometimes, we actually, do not feel very loving to particular people, and we know, that we do not feel love in our hearts about them. Well, what does that mean? Does it mean, that we should not do anything good or positive to them, just because we do not feel love in our heart for them? I do not think so. No matter what we feel about others, we are commanded to do to them, just as we would like them to do to us.
Yes, of course, it does not always mean, that others will do to us, just as we want them to do for us, but that is the goal, that is the command from heaven, on which we base what we will decide to do to others. Notice, I said decide, not feel, because that is what the command to love others is about. Because we want to obey God, that is why we decide to do them good, even if we do not feel like doing it.
What about our enemies, people who do not like us, and are willing to do anything to hurt us, even without a cause? Naturally, we do not feel very loving towards our enemies, do we. Often, if we are honest, we can actually feel angry towards them, for treating us unfairly, hurting us without a cause. But, we are commanded by Jesus to love them. So, on one side of the coin, we can feel angry about our enemies, but on the other side of the coin, we can decide to say or do something good for them, because we are commanded so by God. It is not so easy sometimes to do that, but the Holy Spirit, by his love which is in our hearts, will help us to do so, in order for us to do, what we are commanded by God.
MORE: iron sharpens iron
You see, the Agape love of God, is more to do with us doing something to others or for others, rather than feeling loving them, or feeling love for them. I do not think Jesus commanded us to feel love for others but gave us a command to love others. And a command, is something we obey and do, rather than a feeling. And anyway, we can not force ourselves to feel love for other people anyway.
But the command from God to love one another, is tightly related to what we are also commanded by Jesus to do to others, just as we would like them to do to us. Do you see that, Jesus told us to DO to others as we would like them to do to us. So, it is all about doing something to others, and not just a feeling or love.
Sometimes, we actually, do not feel very loving to particular people, and we know, that we do not feel love in our hearts about them. Well, what does that mean? Does it mean, that we should not do anything good or positive to them, just because we do not feel love in our heart for them? I do not think so. No matter what we feel about others, we are commanded to do to them, just as we would like them to do to us.
Yes, of course, it does not always mean, that others will do to us, just as we want them to do for us, but that is the goal, that is the command from heaven, on which we base what we will decide to do to others. Notice, I said decide, not feel, because that is what the command to love others is about. Because we want to obey God, that is why we decide to do them good, even if we do not feel like doing it.
What about our enemies, people who do not like us, and are willing to do anything to hurt us, even without a cause? Naturally, we do not feel very loving towards our enemies, do we. Often, if we are honest, we can actually feel angry towards them, for treating us unfairly, hurting us without a cause. But, we are commanded by Jesus to love them. So, on one side of the coin, we can feel angry about our enemies, but on the other side of the coin, we can decide to say or do something good for them, because we are commanded so by God. It is not so easy sometimes to do that, but the Holy Spirit, by his love which is in our hearts, will help us to do so, in order for us to do, what we are commanded by God.
MORE: iron sharpens iron
