Simply Loved by Martin Wiles

“I love you if…” “I love you because…” “But if you don’t…I won’t.”

Most wedding vows incorporate a promise to love in sickness and health, in sorrow and gladness, through good times and bad times and without reservation. Marriage vows portray the model; reality reveals, well, reality.

I’ll love you if you wash my clothes, have my children, cook my meals, clean the yard, clean the house, make the bed, buy me clothes, pay for my hair cuts, manicures and pedicures, pay the bills… Or I love you because you have a dynamite body, have a six figure job, have beautiful eyes, have a good life insurance policy, have a house, land, cows and hogs…

God, on the other hand, simply loves. He had to remind Israel because they thought he loved because or if… The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors. (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)

I’ve been guilty of loving only if the ifs and becauses are satisfied. It’s called conditional love. But God simply loves. No ifs ands or buts. He won’t love me less if I’m bad or more if I’m good. He just loves because it’s his nature to love and because I’m his creation. So are you.

Following God’s example teaches us to love others just because, whether we think they are worthy or not. Unconditional love enhances families, friendships, work places, community organizations, sports, politics and the world. Conditional love erects barriers. What will it take for you to simply love?

Prayer: God of love, enable us to love as You do.

Comments

Obeying God’s Schedule - Martin Wiles

Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” Matthew 9:22 NLT Schedules are made to be broken. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test, I’m a judger. I like structure and organization. While I can be spontaneous on occasion, it’s not my preferred way of life. I’m also time conscious. I’ve been wearing a watch since I was in first grade. Schedules are important, and I like to be ahead of time for whatever the agenda holds. Keeping and checking off a list gives me an adrenaline rush. In college, I completed all my projects ahead of time. Some of these traits were inborn, but being the firstborn child and living with parents who had similar traits made it certain I’d be a judger. John’s gospel, especially, makes it evident that Jesus journeyed on a divine schedule. Many were told not to tell that he had healed them or cast out their demons simply because Jesus didn’t want his ministry to end p...

Bears or Gators? Believer or Non-Believer? - Melissa Henderson

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:21 NIV “What do you mean there are gators in the neighborhood?” Moving from central Virginia to South Carolina's Lowcountry brought new adventures. Learning about alligators, blue skinks, armadillos, and other creatures led to excitement but also a bit of worry. One of the most interesting parts of living in a new state was adapting to the weather and different animals. Would we prefer the bears of Virginia or the gators of the South? As my husband and I became accustomed to the humidity and scorching heat of the Deep South, we began referring to ourselves as “South Carolinians.” We laughed as we noticed folks wearing long-sleeved shirts and coats when temperatures reached sixty degrees in the Lowcountry. In Virginia, that temperature was...

Connecting to the Creator - Martin Wiles

It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Revelation 1:10 NLT I’ve done it all my life—whether I wanted to or not. Going to church was never an option. Dad was a preacher, and PK’s went to church … often. Our particular church tradition held services three times weekly, in addition to special activities on other days. I had to attend each one. After moving out, I had the option of going, but still went. When my parents made me go, I sometimes didn’t want to. But when I could stay home, I rarely did. Worship is what the apostle John did on the Lord’s Day. As he did, God spoke to him and told him to write things that would happen in the future. Things God’s people needed to hear and respond to. Beyond everything else, worship concerns giving God the glory and praise He deserves. He is our creator and deliverer, and we should celebrate that through worship. But worship involves us also. We have needs that require attention and decisions that deman...

Love Lines From God

Search This Blog