Conditional Love

How often is my love for someone conditional upon what they’ve done for me and what they continue to do for me, how they treat me, how they talk to me, etc?

I don’t deserve the love of Jesus. I’ve done nothing to merit His love. All of my behaviors prior to His redeeming work on the cross for me, prior to Him dying for me and raising from the dead so that I might come to Him and know Him…even though I’d sinned, even though I’d failed, even though all my behaviors were in direct opposition to His love, HE LOVED ME and had a plan, from the beginning of creation, that I might know Him.

I love Him BECAUSE he first loved me.

Realizing that my love is reactive to Christ, realizing that I react to His initiating of love, it TOTALLY REMOVES the excuse for me not loving others.

Even if they’re not loving towards me, not kind or compassionate towards me, I have to realize, I wasn’t those things toward God either, so how could I not extend some poor imitation of Christ’s love to this person, compared to the true love that Christ has shown toward me?

Thanks for the reminder, Mike Winger.