My Heavenly Father, love is a choice to be more like You. My loving actions convey the reality that I have been born of You and know You. When I do not act in love toward others it shows that I do not know You because You are love. You showed me Your love personally when You sent Your One and only Son so that I might receive life through Him. The true manifestation of love does not come from my loving You, but You loving me enough to send Your Son as a sacrifice for my sins. Because You are love, when I live by love I am living in You. Your love is total and it reaches every corner of my experience. It is through the Holy Spirit that I am empowered to love. Because He lives in me He guides me into righteousness living thereby shaping me into the image of Your Son. Love like Yours is … unselfish, holy, just, depend-able, and unconditional. The best way to show my love for You is by obeying Your commands.
Your kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward me. Your love goes against my natural inclination to be selfish. To practice Your love, I need help in setting aside my desires and instincts so that I can give love freely and expect nothing in return. Your love bears Your traits and personality … it is patient, it is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it’s not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it does not keep track of wrongs done to it, but it does rejoice in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Your love never fails. Acts of faith, personal dedication or sacrifice and miracle working power produce little good without Your love included in them. Although people have been given different gifts, Your love is available to everyone. Your kind of love (selfless & unconditional) makes my actions and gifts useful.
If I am to emulate You, then I must be a person who shares Your love with others. Your Word says in multiple places that I am to love my neighbor. I see this as Your primary mission for me in this life. Your love asks me to get beyond myself and look into improving the lives of others. Displaying Your love may take the form of encouragement, coaching in righteous living and sharing the wealth You’ve given to me to improve the life of another. I should not do good deeds for appearances or earthly praise. I must act out of compassion and other Godly motives. I know You will reward me if I am motivated to act in Your love. The hardest part of love is loving my enemies. If I am motivated to show them love and treat them well, it will be reflective of the good You’ve shown to me. I’ve learned that if I truly love You and love my neighbor, I will naturally keep Your commandments. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I John 4:16 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.