Why Do We Love?

From Advent: A 25 Day Countdown to Christmas on YouVersion

God’s love is always working, even when it’s not easy to see or believe. Sometimes, it can even be confusing why God would love a world of messy people like us.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. – Genesis 1:26-31 ESV

The Bible tells us in this passage, that we are made in the image of God. This has less to do with our physical appearance, and everything to do with the ways we choose to live our lives. As His children made in His image, God invites us to partner with Him in taking care of the world, and everything in it.

And one of the most crucial things we’re called to do is share Jesus’ love with the world.

The good news is that He doesn’t leave us to our own devices to figure out how to partner with Him in this mission. Instead, Jesus tells us how to act by sharing the two greatest commands: to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:34-40 ESV

When we don’t follow God’s instructions, we end up misusing and abusing ourselves and others—valuable people who God made in His own image. That’s why He defines obeying His commandments as essential to loving Him. You can’t love the Creator while destroying His many creations.

In fact, 1 John 4:8 NIV says:
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Remember, love is following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care.

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:10-13 ESV

God is triune, meaning He is three in One—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So when we look to Jesus for examples of how to love others, we’re also following God’s example of love from the beginning of time.

Jesus is the best example of God’s love, but many people in the Bible had moments where they got it right, too. We’ll look at some examples over the coming days.

For today, consider the two greatest commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. How well are you doing at following these two commands, and what might need to change?

Pause and Pray:

Lord, thank You for the love You demonstrate in everything You say and do. Teach me how to restore my relationships with others as my relationship with You continues to be restored. I want to be someone who loves You so well that it makes a positive impact on the lives of those around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflect or Discuss:

How can you love both the Creator and His creations today? What might you need to change? What is one way you are loving God and others well? Take time to celebrate it!