God's Kind of Love

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" 'But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.' " —Matthew 5:44-45

Bible Reading

MATTHEW 5:43-48

Devotional

The ability to love is evidence that Christ dwells in us.

However, the kind of love that the Bible calls "the fulfillment of the law" (Rom. 13:10) is a very special, child-of-God love.

Matthew 5:43-48 gives us one reason why it's different from other types of love. It makes no distinctions among people.

We all love our own mother. We love her because she is our mother. And we love our friends because they are our friends. These types of love also have their source in God, for God is the source of all goodness. But these types of love are common among both Christians and non-Christians.

"Christian love" is something special. It passes through us and goes out to others, not because of what they are but because of what we are. We don't love others because they are kind or pretty or members of our club; we love them because we are children of the heavenly Father. Therefore we can even love enemies.

This is the way God loves. There are many people in his world who have insulted him beyond measure. But instead of burning them up, God permits them to eat his food, and he lets his sun shine on them. God does that not because they are good but because he is good.

When we are children of the Father, his love begins to flow through us to others. The world is not able to create this kind of love. It is not made on earth; it was made in heaven. When people see it in Christians, they see a little picture of the greatness of our loving Father in heaven.

It is marvelous to be the object of God's grace. But it is even better to become a channel of his grace. This is God's design: his grace must flow, his love must show.

REFLECTIONS

Who are the people in your life you find it difficult to love or even care about? Pray for grace to let God's love flow through you to them.

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I have a few people in my life that I love because God calls me to love, but its only by His grace that I'm able to do so. How convicting it is, to be reminded that we are a window to the amazing love of God to the people around us. Not going to be long winded tonight as this devotional said it all. But lets continue to pray for one another and ask God to help us all in the area of love. To give us grace to let God's love flow through us to those around us, even those we find it hard to love. Grace&Peace to you.