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Everybody needs love. I do. You do. The negative neighbor down the street does. The bully does. All our school mates need love. Our family members need love. The woman behind the counter at the store does too. We all need love. We all need to feel valued and worthy.
How do I respond to others' need to be loved? Do I love them unconditionally when it is both easy and hard? Do I dole out special favors when its only in my best interests to do so? Will I love even the unloving even when my friends set themselves against a person?
I know I was not always easy to love. But thank God He loved me even then! Thank God for the people who shared God's love with me when I was out looking for love in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways.
God loves each and every one of us. We were dead in sins and He loved us. We got born again and He loves us. We break fellowship with Him and He loves us. We help others or do good and He loves us. He loves us all the same all the time. He will not stop loving us EVER. Nothing can keep God from loving us.
Romans 8:39
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's love is unconditional and always present with us. If we can receive that love God has for us and accept it, then we will be able to love others also with the love of God. We cannot give away to others what we have not received for ourselves.
How much does God love you? He loved you so much that He gave His only begotten son for you so you can be with Him for all eternity. God wants to hang out with you FOREVER and He paid the highest price for that privilege.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
As Christians, we are commanded of God to love one another, like Christ loved us. We are to help ourselves and others come to know Christ and grow up into Him in all things. That is a tall order. It is not easy to willingly love and behave lovingly toward those who do not act like they deserve anything more than a swift kick in the pants! To fulfill this commandment we need to keep ourselves in the love of God and be ready always to give every person an answer of the hope that's in us with meekness and respect.
Study the love of God. Put it on in your heart. Guard the love of God in your heart. Keep it like a treasure. Do not let self condemnation, fear, unworthy feelings, shame, or mistakes steal God's love out of your heart. You are loved. You are special. Its by God's grace and mercy. Be mindful of God's love and practice His presence. Then you will always have God's love to give away to others.
Jude 1:21
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
1John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Amen.
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