John 13:
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Coming up in the AME church, we had a Bishop, Robert Thomas, Jr., who had a popular saying that he coined: Love makes the difference. As an adult I have learned that this is so true… Love makes ALL the difference. The issue is the blurred view as to what love is in our society. How it looks, what it takes, how it makes us feel…. Now, I’m NO expert on love, but I’ve had enough life experiences to understand that it isn't what I originally thought it was. I used to think that love was this warm and cozy feeling that was brought on through physical attraction between two people. I used to think that love was owed to us and that we didn't have to give anything… love just kind of happened. I mean… that’s how my family loved me. I didn't have to do anything but exist and they loved me. I used to think that love wasn’t something that could be earned or worked towards… you either loved someone or you didn’t. There was no gestures, sayings, anything to push someone towards loving you. While I’m not an expert on love… I’ve learned that there’s more to it than that. I’ve learned that there are different types of love for different types of relationships and that each kind is important… but we as a society have become almost immune to real love. We’ve become cold. We’ve become distant… All of this has happened for many reasons, but one thing is for sure: As a result of all of that, love isn't easy to find.
Love makes the difference. As a kid… these were just some cool words that a Bishop in the AME church said. It sounded nice. But it seemed to lack meaning to me. Clearly I didn't have the most sound understanding of what it meant to love or be loved, so that played a part in me not grasping the depth of what Bishop Thomas was saying. As time went on, I’ve learned that love is so powerful. It really does make a difference. I mean, the most that anyone really can ask for is to be accepted… to be loved. The lack of love or the feeling of the lack of love can drive people to do some crazy things. It pushes some people into dark places because we long for the acceptance & love of others. We want to matter to someone… anyone. The people who love us are the driving force behind the choices we make. They give us something to live for. Spouses, Children, nieces, nephews, cousins, special friendships, romantic relationships… they push us to want to be better. The power of love is so deep. Even the things that we do and sacrifice because we love someone… it further demonstrates my sentiments that love is powerful.
What intrigues me the most are the people who have the ability to love… even when the person they love doesn't acknowledge their love or even show that love in return. The spouses who remain faithful even when it seems that the other is pulling away, the parents who continue to pray and try to help their wayward children… or even Jesus, who loves us so much and proves it over and over again, yet we fail at showing our love to Him on a regular basis.
Love provides hope. Pure, unadulterated, untainted love… it’s one of the most powerful things we have. It’s a gift for one another. Here in this referenced scripture, Jesus is telling us to properly use this gift. He gives us a new command: Love one another.
Jesus’ life was one of sacrifice… he did things the right way. In doing so, he set the perfect example for us. When told to love, He not only gives the command, but He tells us to how to do it. “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” Jesus has unconditional love that isn't based on things that we do, or kind words that we say or anything like that. He loves us without regard for our positions, as the Bible tells us, He does not play favoritism. He loves everyone… even those who choose to not believe in Him. Those who claim they love him but don’t live like it. Those who speak negatively about him… He continues to love. Despite the hurt it must cause Him, He still loves them. If these same people were to come to Christ and give Him their lives, He’d accept them and treat them as if none of that ever happened! That’s some real love!
We have to love each other like Christ loves us!
We are to love and respect each other… no matter what. If we disagree, have had some issues in the past, even those whose character we don't particularly LIKE… we still have the command to LOVE! Love is what will separate us from the world. Our ability to endure hardships and still treat people right, our ability to still smile at people after they may have done us wrong, not looking down on people who may not have the means to have materialistic things… We have to show love in all of these areas. It’s important! Our love is what will make people see that we belong to Christ.
So please, show some love today and every day! You never know who you’ll be helping by providing a smile, encouraging words, and hope through your loving ways. Love will make you stand out because LOVE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!