Jackson and I have this little game we play with each other at bedtime. I say, “I love you,” to which he replies, “I love you more.” Then I say, “No, I love you more,” and he pushes back with, “No, I love you more…” and on and on it goes. Jackson, typically, will say, “Mommy, I love you too much to argue,” when he’s ready to have the final word, and our “argument” is over.
Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we treated others from an “I love you more” mindset? What if, rather than try to get our own way, prove our “rightness”, or criticize our fellow believers when they don’t quite behave up to par, we just loved them more…more than they love us, or more than they deserve? What if we took Jesus’ command to love and made it our number one mission in life?
Love others more.
Love others enough to forgive them, even when they don’t deserve it. Love them in spite of how we feel. Love them enough to tell them the truth, especially when that truth is not something easy to share. Love them more than our reputation. Love them even when its not the popular thing to do. Love more in the good times and the bad times. Love more.
This is an impossible task…truly. The only way we can be successful in loving others the way God has commanded us to is if we obey his entire command. Love God completely, wholeheartedly, with our minds, hearts and souls. Love him more and more and more. Because when we love God, and we give our lives to God in surrender and obedience, then God’s love will pour out of us and spill onto others.
It’s not loving more in our own strength. It is loving more out of an abundance of God’s love within us.
Speak truth in love. Weigh all matters of the heart against a heavy dose of love. See the world from the other person’s perspective. Listen to the message behind the words or behaviors. See that person as someone who was created by God, just like me and you.
Jesus loved us more. He loved us so much more that he gave his very life for us. His life, death and resurrection bear a message of absolute love.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘” Matthew 23:37-39
He loves us more.
Let us, then, love others more.
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Amy, this makes my heart skip a beat. So glad He loves us more and praying that I can be like him.