Who can self-generate joy and peace when the world is falling apart? I can’t… and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who can. But I’ve known people who have displayed unbelievable peace and joy through incredible trials. Jesus offers what we cannot produce. “I want to give you My joy… in full measure. And I want you to have My peace… I am the Prince of Peace so I can give it. You are going to have trouble in this world, but take hope! I have overcome the world!”
Who can self-generate the ability to love God with every part of mind, soul, heart, and strength? And who really loves his neighbor as himself? And how many followers of Jesus always follow His greatest commandment… to love others the way He loves us?
Only God loves this way. So without Him, the supernatural love this world needs does not exist. Jesus prayed that the Father’s love would be in us. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:25-26) We need His love to love!
It is our sinful nature that prevents us from loving well, but Paul revealed that when Jesus died, we died. ”For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin… Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:6-7, 11)
The hope for any of us to love the way God loves is to live in Christ. We can love because His Spirit lives in us. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5)
What does such love look like on earth? There is care for the poor, the sick and afflicted are helped, the grief-stricken are comforted, those in prison are visited, the hungry are fed, the orphans are rescued, wrong-doers are forgiven, prodigals are welcomed, families thrive, mercy and kindness rule… God is seen.
“My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12