Learning to Love
The Bible is transparent, and it reveals us. It shows that the divine measure of a man or a woman is not how gifted they are, nor how well educated they are, nor how well-known they are, but everyone, without exception, has a great potential for love. But here is the kicker, you’ve got to learn to love. You see, this is the love month.
Those trying to trip Jesus up came and asked him, ‘what is the greatest commandment?’. He said quoting, Deuteronomy chapter 6, “The most important one is this ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these’.”
There are three dimensions to this kind of love. One is vertical -to God. The other is horizontal with two strands, to yourself and to others. Now the order is tremendously important. For you see, a right relationship with God demands a right relationship with others, and a right relationship to me is essential to having a right relationship with God and others. I cannot love my neighbor unless I love my God and I cannot love others unless I love myself.
Let’s first look at loving God. In order to love Him, we need to know who He is. Most people do not know who He is but have perceived ideas about God. Only what God’s revelation of Himself through His word tells us what He is like. Let me share three quick portraits of God.
1) He is the seeking God. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). In fact, he seeks our worship of him (John 4:22-23). 2) He is the giving God. He gave us His son (John 3:16). In James 1 it says He gives good gifts to us, and He does not change. He just keeps giving. 3)He is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 5:6-10) that means His jealousy broods over us for our best. Since these characteristics are what God is like who wouldn’t want to serve and love him?
So then do we love ourselves? Three reasons to love yourself 1) you are created in gods image (Genesis 1). You are significant. 2)Christ died for you. You are significant. 3) God gifted you (Ephesians 4). you are significant. You have value, confidence, security, and just plain joy because you are significant. You can’t hate yourself.
Once you get this together, you can love others. You can love your neighbor. He or she can see Christ in you, because of who you are and what He’s done for you. You are a new creation of God when you trust Jesus Christ as your savior. You have been reconciled to God, because you were an enemy, now you are a friend. And then God gives you the ministry of reconciling others to God (2Corinthians 5:17-19). This means both believers and unbelievers. Do you love God? Do you love yourself? Do you love others? If you do God can and will use you in mighty ways.
Ken Muck, Interim Pastor at Sturgeon Bay Community Church
Those trying to trip Jesus up came and asked him, ‘what is the greatest commandment?’. He said quoting, Deuteronomy chapter 6, “The most important one is this ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these’.”
There are three dimensions to this kind of love. One is vertical -to God. The other is horizontal with two strands, to yourself and to others. Now the order is tremendously important. For you see, a right relationship with God demands a right relationship with others, and a right relationship to me is essential to having a right relationship with God and others. I cannot love my neighbor unless I love my God and I cannot love others unless I love myself.
Let’s first look at loving God. In order to love Him, we need to know who He is. Most people do not know who He is but have perceived ideas about God. Only what God’s revelation of Himself through His word tells us what He is like. Let me share three quick portraits of God.
1) He is the seeking God. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). In fact, he seeks our worship of him (John 4:22-23). 2) He is the giving God. He gave us His son (John 3:16). In James 1 it says He gives good gifts to us, and He does not change. He just keeps giving. 3)He is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 5:6-10) that means His jealousy broods over us for our best. Since these characteristics are what God is like who wouldn’t want to serve and love him?
So then do we love ourselves? Three reasons to love yourself 1) you are created in gods image (Genesis 1). You are significant. 2)Christ died for you. You are significant. 3) God gifted you (Ephesians 4). you are significant. You have value, confidence, security, and just plain joy because you are significant. You can’t hate yourself.
Once you get this together, you can love others. You can love your neighbor. He or she can see Christ in you, because of who you are and what He’s done for you. You are a new creation of God when you trust Jesus Christ as your savior. You have been reconciled to God, because you were an enemy, now you are a friend. And then God gives you the ministry of reconciling others to God (2Corinthians 5:17-19). This means both believers and unbelievers. Do you love God? Do you love yourself? Do you love others? If you do God can and will use you in mighty ways.
Ken Muck, Interim Pastor at Sturgeon Bay Community Church
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