| devotional by: Hannah Ford |
Added: 04-16-2008 |
Who Will Answer My Call To Love?
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
Today during an intense prayer time that I had, God asked me this question: "Who will answer my call to love?" He kept asking it: "Who will answer my call to love?" His words came to me with so much passion and fire. He reminded me of all of the people in the world who don’t yet even know Him. And still He asked me the same question.
I realized that His definition of love is so much more than what most of us think about. So I thought about how Jesus loved. He loved passionately, wholeheartedly. He had compassion and healed the sick and diseased. He raised the dead and cast out demons. He multiplied food to feed people. He defended people. He honored people beyond social norms. He looked into the depths of people and told them that He was their answer. He served people in humility. He set the captives free and radically changed lives. He took our sins upon Himself to a point beyond just death. Jesus did even so much more than this and He still does. So when He asks, "Who will answer my call to love?" I know that He is not just talking about a surface love. He is calling us to love as He loves. EVERYTHING that Jesus did was out of love.
Like Jesus, everything we do should be in love. How can we do this? We need the power of the Holy Spirit alive in us. We cannot muster this kind of love up on our own. We must love His way because our way is not enough. Our love should be practical, yet deep. Natural, yet supernatural. Our love should leave people feeling as though they had just encountered God. We should be children of God who believe Him at His word. Jesus said that even greater works would we do in His name. Freely we have received, freely we must give.
I have so much room for improvement in my life in regards to loving. But when God asks me, "Who will answer my call to love?" I say, "I will," believing that He will help me to. It is my prayer that you will have the same response. God is looking for those who know their identity in Him, who know His power, His love, and their purpose for being here. He is looking to us to die to ourselves so that we can truly love a dying world. He has done His part, and we must do ours. So together let’s answer this call--not just in words but with our lives. And most importantly, let’s fall in love with our Saviour, for without love for Him, how can we love others as He calls us to?
Dear God, reveal to us how beautiful, powerful, and loving You are. May we fall in love with You as never before. Give us Your heart and Your eyes to see the world as You do. Consume us so that we walk in compassion, love, and no fear... for Your perfect love casts out all fear. Pour more of Yourself into us, that we may be overflowing with Your Spirit and be able to answer Your call to love as You love.
Amen.
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