“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.'” – John 14:23
According to Jesus Christ there is no higher obligation to God, no greater spirituality, than this duty to live a life of multidimensional love.
“God’s love is unconditional,” we often hear it said. While this is a foundational truth, His love is so much more than this! What are the many dimensions of God’s love? His love is a sacrificial love. It doesn’t promote it’s own agenda, but actively and purposefully seeks the good of others. His love is deliberate, loyal, and trustworthy. His love befriends the unlovely and seeks reconciliation at the highest of costs. Consider Eugene Peterson’s wonderful paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:3-7
“So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.” – 1 Cor. 13:3-7 The Message
Will you commit to a life of multidimensional love in 2015?
What is one aspect of God’s perfect love you most need to grow in ?
In Christ,
Dale
dale@daleebel.org