By: Rex Stump
Here is a riddle. Name one gift that you can give to a family member, friend, or a total stranger that will cost you nothing and everything? Give up? Here’s my answer, “love.”
I John 4:9-10, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
Have you ever wanted to give a gift to someone who hurt you, ignored you, or is just a bad person? Of course not.
But thank God, that despite our lack of worthiness, our sins, and mistakes, He still loves us. His gift, cost the life of His Son. It doesn’t cost you or I anything. It was the death of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection to life that makes us right with God. Nothing else.
In Mark 15:29-32 we read that as Jesus hung on the cross the people, the religious leaders, and even the criminals mocked Jesus saying he should save himself.
The truth is, Jesus could have saved Himself. But He didn’t. You know why? Love. Love held him to the cross. Four letters, not three nails. Love.
There’s a point and time in our life when we discover how much of a sinner we are. We realize that we have been rebelling against God. We humbly come to God.
We bring our bruised, hurting, dirty lives to God and say “Can you help me? Can you forgive me?” He shows his mercy and grace! He works a miracle of salvation. He forgives and then deposits His Spirit in us!
It’s also at the cross where we learn to love others, as God loves us. I John 4:21, “And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.” God doesn’t give us a quota for how many people we are supposed to love. No number listed.
He just shows us how much to love people. We are to love others the same way God loves us. Sound difficult? Absolutely! But as Christians, we receive the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to love. “And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.” (1 John 4:13)
When my boys were little, I would have to help them shoot a basketball into the hoop. They were too short to make the shot. I would lift them up, so that they could get closer to the rim.
They would still miss shot after shot, until finally I would lift them up right next to the rim. They would just roll the ball into the hoop, I’d set them down, and they would celebrate that they made a basket. They would cheer, “I did it, I did it!” Truth is, they couldn’t do it unless I held them up.
Truth is, we can’t do it, love others, unless God is holding us up. God gets all the credit! He first shows us His love. And then He empowers us with the ability to love others! We do it, only because he enables us to do it.
As children of God, as one who seeks to imitate God, do we love one another? Do we love those who disagree with us, cheer for the other team, pull out in front of us, or mock us?
If you’re having a hard time loving other people, get on your knees and ask God to enable you to love others. You can do it…because He can help you do it!
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.
