On the Love of God

A couple of months ago, I heard a message from one of the elders at the Colorado church Gabriel attends that really started a change in my own perspective of my walk with God. The elder used this verse: 2 Corinthians 13:14

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen”

Now, the verse seemed simple enough…I mean I’d seen variations of it as a benediction or introduction to many New Testament books. But the message the elder presented was that there is a more complete salvation that many believers fail to have, experience, and live during this life because they have neglected these things: the love that comes from God, the grace that comes from Jesus Christ, and the fellowship that we have through the Spirit of God with Him and other believers.

From the time that I heard that message, I have spent many hours pondering to myself about what he meant. I at first considered that I knew the love of God quite well. I reasoned that I had a good understanding of the grace of Christ, and I felt that maybe fellowship was necessary, but not essential. However, since the time of my hearing, God has decidedly shown me that my mindset was completely wrong. In essence, if I died and met Christ and heard Him say that He never knew me, I would have to agree. So I just want to share what I’ve had my eyes opened to concerning these things since the moment I heard that message. This note is just going to focus on the love of God.

I think when people hear about the love of God, they immediately think about John 3:16 and the fact that Christ forgives their sins. Some people might venture to say that they know God loves them because He answers their prayers and may give them want they want. These are all things that I thought of whenever I considered the love of God. However, I was first challenged to think differently about love when I read this in Romans 13:8 & 10

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law…Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Now, when I initially read it, I was convicted about it, but I thought it was in reference to my lack in feency with loving other believers. So I prayed and asked God to cause me to live His word, and I kept on reading. Within a week, my supervisor at my job practically lost her mind. I mean, she was assigning random projects with tight deadlines and with no concern for my coworkers and me having to work overtime or through the weekends. She just wanted what she wanted and nothing less.

And during this time, God brought back this verse to my mind and the fact that I should pray for her. Now I will tell you, this is how I realized I had a problem. I did not want to pray for this woman. I mean, I actually sat there and was like “okay, this isn’t working.” And it was at that moment that I went to God, and I asked Him for help to be able to pray for this woman with a sincere heart of love. And you know, He did answer that prayer but not before He revealed something to me.

The fact is that this command to owe no one anything except to love them is not conditional. This is not a command that is applicable to believers of Christ only. This command is not applicable to people I like or people who treat me decently. But this command is to be lived out every day at every moment for every person I ever encounter in my life, regardless of how they may treat me. In fact, as judicious as I am to pay my debts and my bills, I am to be as judicious in loving people sincerely. And I understood that at the moment, but obviously, I did not know the full extent. So I went to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, and just to stretch myself on it, I looked it up in the Amplified version. It says:

“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].”

Okay, so even in writing that just now, I got convicted all over again, but I will tell you why. From the moment that God opened my eyes about this, I have been sorrowful because I lost count of how many times I failed to love people to this extent. I mean, I am a hall director. I live with over 100 students, and my entire job is interacting with people. I am told to always provide a good level of customer service with all people, but my mind goes to how many times I do this without a genuine heart, without love. Funny thing is, people never seem to notice or ever question me. So, this has been something I have done for years without ever feeling any remorse.

So my conviction came because God shed light on the state of heart and the conditions and boundaries I had placed around His unconditional love which is supposed to be evident in my life. When I traverse the description of love in 1 Corinthians, I see that if one of the elements are missing….whether I am not being patient, or I am self-seeking or resentful….the love of God is not fully evident or at work in my life, and I fail to represent Him. So I have learned to entrust myself to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the provision of grace from Christ each day to be able to love people the way God commands.

Lastly, I realize now how important the love of God is to experiencing salvation the way God intended. I know that God has revealed His love to me before, but as I am learning even more about its extent, I continue to be in amazement. His love is so complete…deeper than any ocean, reaching farther than any universe…I mean He is God. He is creative enough to design a way to receive glory from anything, but yet He is loving and patient enough to allow me to experience a relationship with Him. A relationship that is completely undeserved…in fact, it shouldn’t even exist. Born into iniquity and with a natural mind to resist Him in any way possible, it is a wonder to me that He could love us, love me, so perfectly. And when I remember that, it makes it easier to allow Him to perfect that working of His love in my heart.

-Alicia Tinsley