By Love Itself

Love comes in all forms throughout our lives. We might experience the love of a parent, a friend, a significant other, or maybe the love of a pet. We base our lives around the things we love and around those who love us because it is important for us as humans to be a part of something greater than ourselves. In addition to the love we feel from a parent or friend, we have a God who is constantly showing his love for us. 

As a kid, I remember going through Sunday school and continuously hearing the phrases “Jesus loves you” and “Jesus wants to be your friend forever”. These phrases are simple enough for a child to grasp, but they also carry much more weight than we realize when we’re young. The fact that Jesus loves us is amazing by itself. When paired with the second phrase “Jesus wants to be your friend forever”, the love Jesus has for us becomes even more incredible. 

Let’s back up and talk about how much Jesus loves you! Although we were sinners and disobedient, our perfect and loving God sent His only son to be crucified by us sinners so that we could be forgiven. John 15:13 says this, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus showed us the most pure and most powerful form of love by laying down His life for those of His friends (us!). Our God did not have to send His son to rescue us from our sin, but He loves us so much and wanted a relationship with us so badly that He sent His son to perform this awesome act of love. 

Now that we know the power of this love to be true and that we know how much Jesus loves us, we are called to love others the same way. John 15:12 says this, “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.” These are Jesus’ words. Jesus, who loved us so selflessly and so deeply, is calling us to love those around us in the same way. While this may seem like a difficult command to follow, we need to remember that we have the most perfect example of love right in front of us. How incredible is it that we are loved by the source of love itself: Jesus. 

Go and live out this command Jesus has given us. Love one another. Spend time in prayer asking God to model your life after that of Jesus, and to give you the strength and the faith to love others as deeply as you are loved by Him. Remind yourself that you are so unfathomably loved by love itself. 

Olivia Hensley