If our love for another is contingent upon what they first do for us, then we have a vocabulary problem.
You see, we’re not showing “love” to the person.
Instead, we’re making a deal with the person.
“You do for me and then I will do for you.”
This attitude shows love alright, but it is egocentric.
It is a contract.
God calls us to have covenant love.
He wants us to be committed to loving others because it is the right thing to do, regardless of how we are treated.
If the person reciprocates, that’s a wonderful blessing.
But if the person doesn’t reciprocate to the desired extent, we are still blessed by knowing that we are obeying God’s command to love as He loves.
Check out this little bit of love language from today’s reading in the One-Year Bible:
“We love each other because He loved us first.” (I John 4:19)
God loved us before we loved Him.
Amazingly, He loves us even if we don’t love Him.
What He did — and does — for us is what we’re to do for the people in our lives.
Particularly those closest to us.
Yes, some people are sometimes hard to love.
But we are called to show kindness, patience, forgiveness, generosity, acceptance and then keep repeating these things over and over and over again with our spouses, our children, our siblings, our co-workers, our friends, our neighbors and our church members.
Sometimes it’s not easy.
But do you think it’s always easy for God to love us?
Let’s love first.
It’s what God does.
It’s what the godly do.
As always, I love you
Martin
