Chosen by God!
To love God and one another, we must draw strength from our Savior, Jesus Christ. As members of the Body of Christ we can draw strength from Jesus Christ to love God and each other. It is only through intimate relationship with Jesus that we are able to draw on His strength. His Word tells us:
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” (Philippians 4:13 AMPC)
That means everything He has told us to do He has strengthened us to do. All we have to do to walk in this strength, this ability, is to remain connected to Him.
We can love others because God has equipped us to love through His Holy Spirit:
“This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5 HCSB)
Jesus commands us to love and He told us it is by love that others will recognize us as His disciples:
“I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].” (John 13:34-35 AMPC)
Love is a choice. Just as we chose the gift of salvation we must choose to love. Each of these choices will cost us something, but the reward of being in the Family of God, eternity in His Presence, loving others, obedience to God, loving God, bringing God joy outweigh the cost.
When this is our goal, doing this becomes the essence of who we are:
“And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31 AMPC)
We cannot love God without loving others.
Be Encouraged! ❤
Leisa Wilkins Ministries
"Encouraging and Empowering you to become who God created you to be, God's Masterpiece, a Divine Original!"
Pastor | Author | Bible Teacher | Speaker | Encourager
www.leisawilkins.com