You Don't Get to Choose Who You Love

You Don't Get to Choose Who You Love

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil." (Luke 6:32,35)



God is light. God is good. God is love. And He loves the world through us; however, we cannot just be the conduit for His love. We must also show love.



When the Bible says that God is light, it also tells us that we are the light. (1 John 1:5; Matt. 5:14.) In fact, Jesus said it-that we, as Christians, are the light of the world; and He said that we should let our light shine in such a way that the world would glorify God. (Matt. 5:16.) So, God is light and we are light.



Something else the Bible also tells us that God is good. (Ps. 100:5; Matt. 19:17.) When Moses asked to see God's glory, God caused His goodness to pass by. (Ex. 33:18-21.) God's glory is His goodness.



We're also told in the Bible that God is love. (1 John 4:8.) God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus. (John 3:16.) He gave of Himself while we were still in our sin. (Rom. 5:8.) And Ephesians 5:1 says that we are to imitate God. We should be able to imitate God because we have been created in His likeness and in His image and we have been given His Spirit to live inside of us to help us do what we can't do on our own. God is love and we can be like Him.



Now don't take me wrong. I am not saying that we are God. What I am saying is this. The very essence of God is love and if we were created in His image and in His likeness (Gen. 1:26) and if we are to be like Him as we are commanded to be in Ephesians 5:1, then we need to actually be love as He is love.



Love must be in our heart. Love must be in our mind. And even if we are cut (or hurt by others), we must bleed love.