Have you ever thought about what it means to ‘live a life of love?” Full of Christ’s love to the point of overflowing?
Sometimes life distracts us, pulling us down to the depths of reality. Current circumstances leave little room for love, peace or even joy. Maybe we don’t feel like loving or like being loved. But God’s Word tells us how to get there and why we should.
Ephesians 5:1-2 reads, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love; just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
This is my life verse. If you follow me on social media, you know its also my hashtag. It reminds me, not only to live my life, but to live my life with purpose. With intention. To live a life of love because we really are dearly loved children and God loves us so much.
#livelove
Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog about joyful obedience. I wrote,
“I want to live that life of love God intends for me to live. I want to break free from all the destructive sinful patterns of my past and experience the true spirituality that frees us to live joyfully in the present. Then, and only then, can we do the work that God has created us to do and be the people God created us to be. Then we can live a life of love and be filled with joyful obedience.”
We have been created for more. When we begin living our lives from this place of love, we can do the work God created us to do. We can do the things Jesus did. All of the things Jesus did!
In Luke, Jesus tells us Himself,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[
Jesus was quoting Isaiah 61, but He applied these same verses to His own life. However, if anyone was paying attention, they would have noticed Jesus was already doing all these things. He was transforming other people’s lives, healing them, setting them free and glorifying God along the way.
Later in John 4:12-14, Jesus tells us, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Be imitators of God…
Jesus really did show us the way. He lived a life of love, becoming a mirror of God’s love here on earth. Jesus shows us how to live.
Do you believe in Jesus? I am certain your answer is “Yes!” Okay, then, do you believe God’s Word to be true? I proclaim, “Yes!” You probably do as well. So, why are we not doing the greater things Jesus said we should do?
We have to choose to live this life of love. In doing so, we become imitators of God. We can do the same things Jesus did. Even greater things. In turn, we mirror God’s love to the world, just like Jesus did.
So, I challenge you today, be who God created you to be! Live that life of love. Because the world needs us! The world needs God and the power of His transforming love.
Let us pray;
God of all goodness and mercy, thank you for your love. Thank you for your Son who shows us the way. Forgive us when we do not live from a place of love. Help us to be the people you have created us to be so we can mirror your love to the world. In Jesus name, Amen.
P.S. Leave me a comment below. Tell me how you intend to live a life of love. What’s one thing you can do today? Forward this message to a friend that might need a little love and encouragement today. Post on Facebook and tag me in it. And remember, God loves YOU! Share that love with someone else. -M
