Because He First Loved Us

November 24

People can be thoughtless. People can be tactless. People can be ruthless. People can be absolutely cruel! There are situations from which we recoil because we don’t want to see the actions some members of humankind are capable of inflicting on others. We don’t want to know the depravity of the human heart. But we’re told to love people.

We’re told to love the worst of them, but wickedness doesn’t merely offend us, it frightens us. If we don’t confront it, if we endeavor to remain oblivious to it, if we ignore its pervasiveness, we can go merrily on our way. We can pretend sin’s scope is less than it is; we can pretend that all is right with the world. But we’re told to love people.

We can turn our eyes from seeing the devastation of war. We can stop our ears from hearing the cries of the homeless, the starving, the oppressed. We can focus on the pleasant things, the good things. We can live our lives within our secure little bubble and not allow anything that causes distress to intrude into our little corner of the world.

But, we’re told to love people. We can’t love without allowing our hearts to be invested in the objects of our love. How can we commit ourselves to caring for man when we are so put off by him? I John 4:7 shows us the only way it can be done—“We love because HE FIRST LOVED US.” We love as Christ loves, we follow His example, even unto death.