Love

Love. Isn’t it amazing how these four letters can have such a dramatic effect?

Love.  It’s a word that has brought me tears of joy, goofy smiles of happiness and even passionate expressions of giving!  After all, love will motivate you to go shopping for someone’s gift when shopping is NOT your most favourite thing in the world to do :D 

Love. It’s actually a word that has brought much change into my life.

I, along with my wife, Fina, and our 4 children (at that time) left everything that we knew – because of love.  We gave up family, friends, our planned futures – all for love.  Because of our love for Jesus!

That love for the Lord motivated us to obey His call to step into a new season of life and come to the United Kingdom.

That belief in His love for us defeated the voices of fear that tried to sway us from stepping out in faith.

Love.  Such an extraordinary word.

The Bible says ...

"Be imitators of God in everything you do, then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters. And continue to walk surrendered to the EXTRAVAGANT LOVE OF CHRIST, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance." (Ephesians 5:1-2, Passion)

Our lives are meant to overflow with a very specific type of love, the EXTRAVAGANT LOVE OF CHRIST!  We are challenged to love EXACTLY like Jesus loves.

What are some of the attributes of this EXTRAVAGANT LOVE OF CHRIST?

It’s a love that sacrifices

Jesus sacrificed His life, so that we who had no hope and were bound to eternal death could have eternal life!          

The love of Christ is a love that will give the very best it has - see itself put in a worse state – in order that someone else can thrive and have a better life.

It’s a love that is unconditional

Jesus' love for mankind isn’t based on what we do.  It’s not based on our performance.  It’s based on who He is – He loves because of His nature and character.

I heard this statement once ... "Nothing you have done or will do, will ever stop Jesus from loving you."  And that’s the absolute truth.

I’m not saying that everything you do will always be pleasing to Him, BUT nothing you do will ever stop Him from loving you.

It’s a love that forgives  

Jesus offers His forgiveness to everyone, no matter what they may have done.

We can sometimes think that it’s okay for us to forgive someone when they hurt us a little, and when it doesn’t amount to much.  But if someone does something extremely nasty, well then, we are completely justified in not forgiving them.

But that’s not the EXTRAVAGANT LOVE OF CHRIST!  The love of Christ - FORGIVES.

It’s a love that reconciles

There was a time when we were mired in sin, with no hope, overflowing in ungodly pride and destined to eternal death.

Then the One who had been wronged, who was innocent and was fully justified to judge us and walk away from us made the first move to bring us back to Him.

His love motivated Him to make the first move for reconciliation.

The extravagant love of Christ will always make the first move to try to bring reconciliation, even when the other person totally does not deserve it.

We are called to love exactly like Christ loves!  May we all live up to that calling.

Love.  Such a magnificent word!