Daily Journal: 31 May

Why Don’t We Want

to Love?

It seems easier to hate than to love. If we look around the world, that's what we see the most.

Love is a choice. Love isn’t only about a decision to treat the people closest to us well, but strangers, our neighbours, people we may not necessarily like or respect.

We think about love as an emotion but it has the propensity to override every other negative emotion and response we feel. Love is different altogether. Love isn’t from ourselves, but is spiritual in nature.

True love is not of ourselves.

1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

Dear friends, let us love each other, because love comes from God. Those who love are God’s children and they know God. Those who do not love do not know God because God is love.

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Love isn’t just tolerating others. It isn’t a façade of acceptance. It isn’t being civil. That’s not even goodness, if it’s not within our heart to receive and accept without judgement.

What is love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 

Love isn’t necessarily easy. It is pure and selfless. It puts our own needs and responses aside and reaches beyond ourselves to the good of others. It sets aside agendas and is cooperative with what is right and good. Love can restore and heal. It seeks out wholeness even in the face of adversity. Love is vigilant and indomitable.

So, why don’t we want to love? Why are we so unable or unwilling to be equipped with something that is beyond ourselves for the good of all?

Song of Solomon 8:6 (BSB)

For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all.

I pray that we will want to receive and operate in this kind of love. That we will put aside our hardness of heart and want a yielded heart of flesh.

I pray that we will be undefeatable, in love.