Matthew 5:44-46 – But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
Love cannot and should not remain vague or pointless. There is no great merit in saying, "I love everybody." There is no great power in saying, "God loves the world."
The impact comes when we make the decision to love someone and when we come to realize that God loves us. This makes love definite and dynamic. Sometimes we are inclined to become so general in our love that we are grasping at nothingness. This leaves a vagueness to life and a vacuum in our heart.
You may have heard of the girl who told her friend that she had received a love letter from her boyfriend which left her depressed. Her friend could not comprehend why her initial enthusiasm had waned so rapidly. Then the girl said that it was a very touching and beautifully written letter; however, it was mimeographed.
How many other girls had received the same letter? The generalness of the message took away the significance of the message. You cannot love in generalities. I pray that today you will know the wholeness of giving yourself in love to your spouse, to your children, and to your God. You are not being selfish to make a decision to love someone. You are being untrue to yourself and others not to make such a decision.
Prayer: I thank You, Father, that Your love is so specific. I thank You that Jesus loved me so much He died for me. Amen.
(From The Ministry of the Master ©1986 by Donald Bartow. Used by permission.)
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