“A Deliberate Choice of the Will”

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

BIBLE READING: John 3.16; 1 Corinthians 13; Matthew 6.43-48

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3.16)

God loved the world despite its faults and failings. It was a deliberate choice for the good of others, and it wasn’t half-hearted. He so loved that he gave his very best. That’s not our natural bend, is it? We are more prone to love those that “deserve” it and display love as an act of expectation. But Jesus would say this way of ‘loving’ has no value, and is not love at all because it doesn’t reflect God’s love towards us. Instead, “God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5.8). On one extreme was wicked and thoughtless humanity and on the other, a deliberate and giving God whose actions addressed the present need and created hope for everyone.

Love is the prevailing nature of God’s character that will continue even beyond the temporal (1 Corinthians 13.8). As such, it is powerful when practiced properly. As we cultivate fruit of the Spirit, love through giving should be the defining feature of our lives. Not just with those we want to love or that ‘deserve’ our love. We are called even to love our enemies (Matthew 5.43-48).

How is love like this possible? It must be a deliberate choice of the will to emulate the Father. To practice this, Jesus taught that love is…  

1. …Premeditated. In Matthew 5.44 he says, “Pray for your enemies.” In other words, don’t just pray that God will help you love; invest yourself in the people you need to love better. I’ve observed we often remain selfish with our love because our prayers are all about me and not about the good of others. Love gives thought to the needs of others and prays for their good.
2. …Impartial. Just as God “sends rain on just and unjust” we must not determine who is worthy of love. This means we don’t evaluate the nuances of a circumstance or judge who will receive the benefits of my actions before I love. Loving like our Father is being willing to give when you have opportunity. “If any of you has the world’s goods and see his brother in need, yet closes his heart; the love of God is not in him (1 John 3.17).
3. …Selfless. This bring us back to John 3.16. When we practice love that gives, we begin to realize the Divine nature of love. It doesn’t happen just when it’s easy but in circumstances where it is difficult and gut-wrenching and inconvenient (Romans 5.8). Love is selfless.  

God didn’t love us because he was swept up in his emotions for us. He determined, before we were even created, to act in our best interest, even to the point of giving his best. And so we must learn from the Father: Love is a choice; and if I will love, I must give.

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