These things I command you, that ye love one another. (John 15:17) 

Love is so important to Jesus that He summed up all Ten Commandments into two: love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. The Apostle Paul says in First Corinthians 13 that nothing we do really matters without love. But in today’s world, we are confused about love. Movies and television lure us into fantasies about “true” love using sex, guilt and manipulation as tools to obtain love. When we are hurt by someone who says they love us, we begin to wonder if love really exists at all. Is love a feeling or is it an attitude or a behavior? Jesus knew exactly why He had to command us to love each other. Because we would not do it based upon our own feelings. We are human and our nature is sinful. 

The only way to keep this commandment is to pray. Pray for God’s love to fill your heart. Pray that you will love your enemies as well as your neighbor (the good and bad). Pray that you will love Jesus more everyday. It is only when we stop asking “why” and start asking “how” that we can truly know what love is. 

When I read today’s devotion it encouraged me to ask how and it starts today. Even as adults we have a tendency to ask God why and as today’s devotion says we need to start asking Him how, how can I show love to the unloveable, how can I extend mercy and grace, how can I show forgiveness and mean it. When you ask God, He will show you. Go to Him in prayer and He will meet you right where you are with clear direction and strength to overcome the why in your life. 

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 

Today’s Reading is Psalms 73:26