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Writer's pictureDavid Warren

Love Level

What level of love do you have right now? Do you love the unlovable? If so, is there a price for your love? Jesus spoke to the subject of love in the following verses in Luke 6:27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you. 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Jesus prefaced his statements in verse 27 by saying "To you who are willing to listen." Who we love has a major condition. Are you willing first to listen to Jesus? If you aren't, then the whole thing goes "out the window." if we are willing to listen then here is what our Lord says to do. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who hurt you. We can stop right there because that goes against every bit of conventional wisdom we have learned in our life. Jesus won't even let us water down the standard He has set when He says "32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!" We can see that Jesus sets a standard for loving that is above the world's way of loving and "getting something back" is not on the love radar where Jesus is concerned. Jesus even speaks to giving money to someone and not expecting anything in return. We would classify that as "being used" correct?

When we see just how Jesus wants us to love we can also see how far above our love His love shines. Jesus truly speaks to an unconditional love that defies a worldly attitude about love. What keeps us from experiencing this kind of love? Pride. The pride monster rears his ugly head at every turn for those who follow Jesus. But this monster is especially seen in the call to love we have from Jesus. I would like to say "I wish I loved more like Jesus tells us to love" but that might be more rare air than I can handle because of my way of thinking. This brings to mind the heart of a disciple and what it should look like when we live our lives. This kind of love is not possible if we try to "will" ourselves to do it. This kind of love can only come from the author of love and that is our Heavenly Father, and it is a kind of "trickle-down" love effect.

We are to love the Lord Our God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength per Mark 12:30-31 and that is our number one priority. What happens when we love God in that way is we take on a righteousness that dispels hatred, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and many other ways the enemy attacks our minds and hearts. God's righteousness replaces that with love, kindness, longsuffering, and many characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. To love in the way Jesus tells us to love means we have to live a life that is led by the Spirit of God and then what seems difficult and distant becomes who we are in Christ. IN CHRIST! That is why it is important to be born-again in the Spirit, so all of the Spirit-filled life can be seen in each of us who call the name of Jesus.

This kind of love is not possible without the righteousness of God. So kick our righteousness to the curb and live in the righteousness that God has given to all of those who are born again in the Spirit and see just how possible it is to love as Jesus loves. He can take our Love to a whole new Level. That will then we our Love Level.


The Pilgrimage Continues,


David Warren

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