Your Love: True or False?

Isn’t it so simple to love a good person who makes you feel nice and happy? So there’s no big deal about it. However, we all want true love—love that loves despite imperfections—and this is where our greatest struggle lies. 

Jesus foresaw Judas betraying Him, Peter denying Him, and the other disciples abandoning Him, He still picked them to be a part of His life here on Earth. Isn’t that what true love means? Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus condemn Judas for betraying him. Although if I were in Jesus’ position, I might have cursed Judas and yelled at him, “Go to hell, Judas! I called you one of my disciples. I trusted you and considered you a friend. But you betrayed me and sold me to my enemies for pieces of silver.” But that was just me. Jesus didn’t do anything like that to hurt Judas; He simply remained silent. 

How about the Roman soldiers who tortured Jesus until He died? Did Jesus slam them with vicious insults? Besides, He has the power and authority in heaven and on earth as the Son of God to put an end to these barbaric soldiers by summoning legions of angels to rescue Him. But, in all humility, Jesus opted to suffer in silence, without harboring any anger toward them. He only spoke the plea of His grieving spirit—a prayer of love for those who had hurt Him (Luke 23:34). What amazing love from an amazing God! 

Ouch! Peter’s denial of Jesus is very painful. If someone close to me behaves like Peter, disowning me as a friend not once, but three times, I will no longer consider them a friend and will remove or cancel them from my life. However, Jesus was not enraged by Peter’s rejection of Him. Jesus even appointed Peter as a steward of His sheep (John 21:15–17). What incredible love from an incredible God! 

It is natural to get irritated with something or somebody detestable. Being lied to, misled, or treated unfairly by a family member, relative, or friend hurts badly. There are times when we have done nothing wrong, but people treat us with indifference as if they do not know us, just like a total stranger when they minister to us. Experiences like these sabotage our ability to love. 

We become wounded and weak when we are constantly upset by people and situations. We become defensive in order to protect ourselves from getting further offended. How? We get rid of individuals who are making our lives miserable; we avoid seeing their faces, we detach from them, and we shut the doors of our hearts until we and they form a relationship gap. And what could be worse than halting the flow of love and forgiveness within us for others? 

The love of the world is abusive, and vengeful. A tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye In any case, each of us yearns for love in its purest form—refined and unconditional, love with no strings attached, no hidden agenda, no vested interest—the kind of love we crave and the kind of love the world needs—Jesus’ love. 

Who says it’s easy to show true love? It’s distressing to witness other people’s repeated cycles of misconduct and then decide to overlook it or put up with it. Have you noticed that most people express their love verbally and not physically? because it’s simpler to say “I love you” than to actually do it. True love is almost impossible to show in deeds. Jesus, however, demonstrated that it was possible. 

The crown of thorns on His head, the 40 stripes on His back, the spitting on His face, the pierced nails in His hands, and, finally, the crucifixion, where He breathes His last, are all symbols of Jesus’ genuine love for mankind. As a result, if you struggle to love the imperfect and have a tendency to point out flaws in others and pass judgment on them, look to the cross, where Jesus embraced you completely with all your blemishes and dark spots, not to mention that Jesus’ horrific death was our fault. However, the fact that the man who died on the cross loved and cared for us so deeply that He gave up everything to ensure that we could live our lives to the fullest and be spared from eternal damnation should inspire us to love others the same way He did—without standards or basis and simply accepting people for who and what they are. 

Imagine this, your child drew close to you after you vented your anger at them for the wrong they did and held you and whispered, “Dad/Mom, I love you and I am sorry,” in between sobs and tears. And your spouse, after admitting to them that you had an affair, did not nag or hurl accusations against you but instead hugged you in forgiveness and acceptance? Is this a familiar kind of love? It’s exactly the love that Jesus has for each and every one of us. You see, Jesus isn’t blind to all our misdeeds; it is only because He is committed to loving us that He chooses to look beyond our offenses. 

God’s love is distinctly different. We frequently violate His commands, whether we are aware of it or not. Our transgressions, on the other hand, magnify God’s love. God sent His one and only Son into our world full of wolves with the intention of having Him take on the punishment that is greatly deserved by us. Jesus willingly submitted to the Father’s will, again, out of His love for us. 

Humans cannot provide us with perfect love. The ideal of love that we desire comes from God through Jesus alone. Christ, the Source and Giver of Love, is what we truly and badly need.