Walking In Love

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

(Ephesians 5:1-2)

What a beautiful portion of Scripture! And what a great reminder to all of us. God has set the example and now He is asking all of us to love one another. It's easy for me to love my husband and my children. It's easy for me to love those around me who treat me well and are kind to me. It's easy to love those people who love me. But I have to admit it's hard to love those who do terrible things to others. I don't want to love those people who hurt others, me included. But God is asking us to 'walk in the way of love': to make love part of our everyday life. He wants us to give ourselves up, just like Christ did for us. We are to put aside our personal feelings and still give love. When we do something that we know is right to do but we don't feel like doing it, then it becomes a sacrifice and a 'fragrant offering' to God.

In our world today the word 'sacrifice' isn't used very much anymore. It's all about 'my rights' and 'my say' and what 'I want' and 'my needs'. Very seldom do we hear that someone made the sacrifice to stay in a troubled marriage or went out of their way to make another person comfortable before seeing to their own needs. That just isn't the norm anymore. But the Lord is telling us that we need to make love a sacrifical gift unto Him. When we extend love to His creation, we are extending our love to Him. We're sacrificially loving when we put the other person ahead of ourselves.

We sing a little chorus 'Make Me More Like Thee Jesus' that needs to be our prayer. When we have the desire to have a heart like His, then we will be 'walking in the way of love'. It will be part of our everyday life and when we come across someone who is difficult in our natural selves to love, then we need to still have the compassion of Christ in our hearts to see them as He sees them and extend love towards them. God set the example, now as His followers we need to walk in the way of love.

Make me more like Thee, Jesus
Make me more like Thee,
Give me a heart that's filled with love
And make me more like Thee.