My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. -1 John 4:7-10 (MSG)

Joyce Meyer has written a whole lot of books. In fact, I believe she is now over 100 in count. One of the books she was hopeful would be a huge seller was a book she wrote on love. However, that book sold poorly in comparison to her expectations. Why is that? Do Christians think they need no further reminders or lessons about the value of love? (I have no idea what the book said, as I did not pick up a copy to read. This is just a comment I happened to hear her make on her program when channel surfing one day). I’m sure that books explaining what God can do for you sell very well. But, isn’t love something we must do for God since He first loved us so deeply?

The older I become, the more I see the value of love and what it does for the believer in the community of God. It is so easy to get caught up in doctrine and differences of opinion regarding theology. Obviously, the evidence for that statement is apparent in the overwhelming number of protestant denominations, catholic and orthodox communions, and assorted spin-offs. While I believe it is very important to study the Bible frequently, it is because I know it helps to strengthen my faith and remind me of what it and isn’t important in this life.

How would Jesus be regarded today? He healed on the Sabbath and even made the radical statement that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” He associated with all manner of sinners, including the worst of all – tax collectors! His disciples were hardly people of high estate. Yet He proved Himself to be the Son of God!

What He did for us could not have been done by anyone else. He repaired the damage done by our sin through erasing it with the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. If He could do that for us, showing love beyond measure, how can we not love our brothers and sisters? Sadly, sometimes the coldest, meanest people I meet profess faith in Christ. I know there are certainly times in my own walk that finding Christ living within me would be hard for the careful observer. Thank God that He keeps on forgiving and forgiving. if I could only love a tiny portion of the way He loves us! How about you? Is there room for improvement in your life too?