The Teaching of Love

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:  In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:16-19

When I was in college, I saw a video clip of a man I came to admire greatly, Leo Buscaglia.  I listened to that video and my life was changed.  He was a professor at the University of Southern California.  He taught love.  In fact, his nickname was Dr. Love.  He transformed me in many ways.  The books that he wrote, the quotes that he shared, truly spoke to me.  Yes, he was an author.  Yes, he was a professor.  Yes, he was a motivational speaker.  What he did was touch my heart.  I have carried his books with me as I moved through life - from apartment to house, from office to office.  He was trying to teach people how to love - love life, love themselves, and love each other.

If there was truly a person who did that first, it was Jesus.  Jesus, from birth to death to resurrection, has taught us how to love.  The last sentence of our passage so eloquently aligns our study - we love because God first loved us.  He loves us enough to create us.  He loves us enough to send His only Son to earth.  He loves us enough to let Jesus be crucified.  He loves us enough to provide everything for us.  He loves us enough to leave us His words to be read, studied and taught.  He loves us enough.

Have you ever felt God's immense love for you?  Through the beauty of this earth?  Through generosity of others?  Through relationships?  God's love for us is truly all around us.  He loved us first and His love never ends.  If we stop long enough to realize it, His love surrounds us each and every minute of the day.  When this earthly life disappoints us or we struggle with our circumstances, we can open the Bible to realize that God is there for us - through his generous love.

What are we to do with the love God gives us?  We love others!  We love completely.  We love without fear.  We choose love over hate - love over hurt - love over anger.  We choose love.  We become the vehicle that God uses to share His love with others.  That love can flow from us in so many different ways.  It may be as something as large as wedding vows or as simple as a home cooked meal.  It may be as quiet as a whisper of "I love you" or as loud as a clanging symbol of a band.  Teaching us to love is one of God's greatest gifts to us.  It is a gift - and how we use that gift is the blessing God wants back.  

“Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” Leo Buscaglia

 I don't know about you, but it's hard to love freely, willingly and without expectation.  Yet, God does.  He loves us without any conditions tied to it.  He loves us freely.  He has taught us the greatest way to love - through Jesus.  We can all use a dose of Dr. Love - the original Dr. Love - Jesus!!  By following His great example, we can love others because He first loved us.  Let's have some simple faith in ourselves and in others - may the love God gives to us freely flow throughout our lives.

Oh Jesus, how you so generously gave your love to us.  From your birth to today, we are able to love others because you have taught us how to love - without any conditions.  This is hard for us, Jesus, but help us all to step out in this world with hearts filled with love and actions that share that love with others.  May everyone we meet see your love lived out through us.  In your loving name we pray.  Amen!