A LIFE OF LOVE
“Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ…
He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hands of his beloved Son…” Ephesians 1:5-6 MSG
God’s gift of A LIFE OF LOVE
Advent Sunday 4
“Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us…” Ephesians 5:2
A life of love. What a generous gift. Immeasurable, limitless, unconditional love. More than enough strength and comfort for whatever we face. Mercy and grace overflowing, nothing expected from us in return.
How can we experience this incredible life of love that Jesus has for us?
And how can we genuinely share it?
Paul encourages us in this verse to “keep company with” God and learn.
To “keep company” with someone is defined by Merriam-Webster as to go together as frequent companions.
So, what do we normally do with our “frequent companions,” our friends? We go for walks, get coffee, celebrate birthdays. We take road trips, plan adventures, go hiking or boating or biking or skiing. We work together. We help each other do projects around the house or yard. We meet for lunch or dinner or a drink. We communicate with each other about the big and little things in our lives. And the more we share and grow together, the stronger our friendship becomes.
What if we could know Jesus as one of our friends–a frequent companion?
What if we shared with him our highs and lows and everything in-between?
What if we invited him in to our jobs, our projects, our coffee dates, our errands, our adventures, and our “normal” days?
What if we asked him every morning to show us more and more of his extravagant love?
And as he shows us, as we spend time with him and get to know him better; we become more like him…
We start to see things and people with his eyes of compassion.
We bring calm and hope to places of stress and despair.
We begin to respond in ways that reflect his grace and kindness.
And we learn how to live this life of love.
Not cautiously but extravagantly.
Not in order to get something, but to give everything of ourselves.
Jesus can help us love like that…because that is the kind of love he pours into us.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for bringing your life of love to me. When you came to our dark and lonely world, you brought more than enough light and joy and hope and peace for every hurting heart. Help me to soak in this abundant love and generously spill it over on everyone around me. I want to live and love like you.