Love Each Other

I went for a run this morning. A glorious, refreshing, beautiful run. I do not always run...because kids...and in general I am a bit of a fair weather runner. Too cold, too snowy, too cloudy, too rainy, or just not feeling it and you'll likely find me working out in the basement with Chalene or Jillian. But on beautiful days like today, getting out for a run is one of my favorite things. I turn on a podcast (love listening to Matt Chandler from the Village Church lately) and take off down the trail, enjoying the views of the mountains and a little time alone (rare in stay at home mom world). I'm not a fast runner, I'd call myself more of an "enjoy the process" runner. But I love it nonetheless. So today, step by slow step, I ran 8 miles and was tired but happy by the time I made it back home.

I honestly thought that 2020 wouldn't get any crazier than a global pandemic. But boy was I wrong. We are now facing tremendous national upheaval as well. Murders, riots, protests. Racial tension. Anger. Violence. Division. Political chaos. Things are a mess to say the least. (I do not bring up any of this to make a political statement, but rather to share what God is doing in my heart.)

All of this left me reeling a little bit. I felt overwhelmed, burdened, heavy, sad. But what could I do? How was I to respond? What impact could I possibly have? I could pray, and did, but it felt like I should do something? What was I to do?

Then came the verse. I was reading a devotional with the kids and this verse jumped out and hit the bullseye of my heart.

John 15:12, the words of Jesus. It says this:

"My command is this: love each other as I have loved you."

What was I to do? I was to love. Not only if I felt like it, this was not a recommendation or a subtle hinting. I was commanded, clear as day. Love each other. There was my response, there was my action, there was my mission. Love each other. How? As Jesus has loved me. Which leads to the next question...how has He loved me?

Sacrificially

1 John 3:16- This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us...

Humbly

Philippians 2:5- Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Selflessly

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Actively

1 John 3:18- Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

Romans 5

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus loves me not because I deserve it. He loves because He is love. He loved me first, when I was yet a sinner. He loves actively, pursuing me even when I was an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). He loves persistently, continuing again and again to pour out His love to draw my heart back to Him. He loves YOU the same way.

As I stewed on this verse, I was both excited and overwhelmed.

Excited because it all seemed to click! "Yes! Of course this is the answer! We are to love, I am to love.” We receive God’s love through Jesus Christ, who motivated by love died and rose again to reconcile us to God. And then we pour that love out to others. I thought about how Jesus told us that this was the very way the world would know that we were His disciples, by our love (verse below). This is what marks us as different, distinct, set aside...that we love. Not "touchy feely" love. Not "you love me and I will love you" love. Not "Woodstock" love. Not "love with no truth" love. But real, Christ centered love. This has always been the plan, always been the mission, always been the call. When we receive the love of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we then go out as his ambassadors to show the world this God who loves beyond comprehension. We love with a love that is humble, selfless, sacrificial, active, persistent. A love that comes from God, shows people God, and connects people to God. A love that glorifies God.

The verses began to pour into my mind...

John 13

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Matthew 22

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

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.

God’s love in and through us will mend broken hearts, love will heal our growing division, love will subdue our anger and soften our words, love will open doors for the gospel and lead people back to God. Jesus is love. As God has loved me, so I am to love others.

Then my excitement was dampened and the same sense of inadequacy seemed to creep in. I am just one person. How can I change the world? How can I love in a significant way? What can I do?

Back to my run from this morning (were you starting to think that was just a random, somewhat braggy intro?). All of these thoughts were stirring and mingling in my mind and I was still trying to piece them all together. Somewhere in the course of my run I had this thought jump into my mind. I don't run with one giant leap. I don't even run by taking huge strides. Rather, with slow, continual, persistent steps I am able to cover significant ground. No step in an of itself seems particularly big or impressive. But each small step takes me forward, and in the end each of the steps together complete the run.

And my run was made up of all kinds of steps! Warm up steps. Beginning steps that were full of energy and excitement to be off. Effortless steps as I ran through wildflowers and gazed at gorgeous mountain panoramas. Short, slow steps uphill. Steps of relief as I went back downhill and let gravity do the work. Tired steps as the miles pressed on. Cautious steps as I looked for a path around the snake lying across the trail. Determined steps to just keep running as I tackled the final hill with tired legs. And finally, happy cool down steps as I walked up my porch, glad to have finished the run to the end without giving up.

I hope you see the picture here. What has God called me to do, what is God calling all those who have received His love to do? Love each other. One slow step at a time, one small act at a time, love each other. Sometimes the steps may be easy, sometimes incredibly difficult. Sometimes we are fresh and full of energy, sometimes we are spent. Sometimes these steps lead us to a place surrounded by beauty, other times we are faced with serpents in our path. But never do we quit. Our steps do not need to be huge. But each, no matter how small, is significant. So we press on, we finish the run. As we have received love, so we give love.

I've been asking the Lord to open my eyes and to give me opportunities to love others. No matter how small, no matter how insignificant any one step may feel, I pray that these acts of love will open hearts to see a God who is the very source of love.

What about you? What will you do? Will you join me?

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12)