Love is a Choice

Love is a choice. It’s not something you have or you don’t have. It’s not something you can fall out of.  It’s something you choose to do. Love is something the Lord has commanded us to do.  In Deuteronomy 6:5 we are told 

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”  And in Matthew 22:39 

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus tells us that the 2 greatest commandments love thy God and love the neighbor.

If you follow the first 2 commandments you will obey them all because if you love thy God with all your heart, soul and mind you would not put any other God before him. You would not take his name in vain. You would not worship idols and you would obey the Sabbath and keep it holy and you would honor thy mother and father. If you would love thy neighbor you would not steal from them. You would not covet his wife or commit adultery with her. Bear false witness against or commit murder.

In Ephesians 5:25 the Lord commands husbands to love their wives.

“Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” 

 According to the U.S. census the divorce rate for 1st marriages is 50%. If wives would submit themselves unto their husbands as unto to lord as it states in Ephesians 5:22 and husbands would love their wives as the lord loves the church as is states in Ephesians 5:25 then the divorce rate would be drastically reduced.

We are told to love thy brother and I can think of no other way to state that than in 1st John 4:7-21.  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Our ultimate goal is to be as Christ like as possible. It is not well enough to just love thy neighbor, we are told in Matthew 5:43-44 

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.'

It is not easy to love somebody who has done wrong to you. Whether it is a father abuses a child, an abusive spouse, or a stranger on the street robbing you. In 1st John 4:18

 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.'

 I know sometimes it can be difficult to love thine enemy. Instead of forgiveness you want revenge. Even sinners can love their own child. . Perfected love comes when the person knows God and believes the love that God has for him/her.    One of the greatest acts of love is to sacrifice yourself for another. The next time you are having trouble forgiving someone and loving them just remember the sacrifice our Lord gave to you when you were yet still a sinner.

If I am having trouble loving anyone then I need to meditate on knowing God and understanding the love He has for me.

Father, reveal yourself to me. I want to know You. Teach me who You are and help me understand the love you have for me.