Love as He Has Loved Me

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV).

I have been told by my Savior that I am to love as He has loved me. Sometimes I am so involved in my own problems that I miss the problems of others. Sometimes life keeps me so busy that my mind is occupied with just what I am going through. If I love with His love, then self-absorption of my own problems does not fulfill His command to love others. Jesus' love was all about me. My love should be all about others. There is no such thing as selfish love in His kingdom. I cannot love with His love if I only think about myself.

Why do we sometimes not go the extra mile for a hurting brother or sister? Why do we think that someone else will fulfill what Jesus has called us to do? If we are truly His disciples, we will take time out of our busy lives. If we honor the amazing love that died for us, we will reach beyond our comfort zone and care for those who are hurting. His grace came at the greatest cost. We cannot treat His grace as cheap by not living the faith He has wrought in our lives. Faith without works is no faith at all. Faith which is not lived in doing for others is no faith at all.

“As the Father has loved me,” Jesus told His disciples on His way to Gethsemane, “so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:9-14, NIV).

The greatest love is to lay down your life for your friend. Do I love with this sacrificing love that gave His life for me, or am I only concerned about my selfish worries? If I will look beyond myself, I will discover that in giving myself away, I will receive the reward of His abiding friendship.