The Secret to Love

The command to love can sometimes feel like a heavy burden–especially when we think of our nasty boss at work or our annoying neighbors. What is helpful, however, is to remember the context in which Jesus gave his commandment. The focus was not on the effort of loving others but on our relationship with Him. The command is preceded by the command to remain in Jesus. He is not asking us to manipulate our minds to love the unlovable people around us or to pretend to love them. Rather, He is calling us to love Him first so that His love for us can overflow to other people.

Recently I was touched to hear a story from my mentor who works in a country where Christians are persecuted. Even though he cannot share the gospel directly, he still shares the love of Christ through his business. He hires many local people and treats each employee as Christ would treat them. I asked him, “How can you keep loving those people, don’t you ever get tired?” Then he told me his secret: every day, he goes to a quiet place and prays. He does not pray that God will change the people around him, but that God would change his heart–that he would be able to experience the love of Christ in a deeper way. When we struggle to obey the command to love, let us remember that we were also unlovable when we first met Christ. Jesus loved us first, and it is only by His love that we can love others.

Written by Maki Umakoshi  <Living Life>

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” – John 15:12