by Rebekah Harvey
There is a song I imagine you probably know or have heard called, “What the World Needs Now Is Love” by Jackie DeShannon. Here are some of the lyrics…

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No not just for some, but for everyone

It is true that we need more love in our world today, but not just more of the emotional or brotherly love although that is needed. The kind of love we need in our world is what Jesus spoke of in John 13, a different kind of love than most people have experienced.

John 13: 34 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.“

This is the God kind of agape love. Agape is love that sacrifices itself for another. This is the Jesus kind of love, Jesus was willing to sacrifice Himself because He loved the whole world this way. He knew all the evil, mean, wicked things each one of us would do and yet He still chose to love us in a sacrificial way. This is the “new commandment” that He has given us to love one another completely and sacrificially.

The apostle Paul encourages us in how we are to love one another in 1 Corinthians 13. As you read through it you can ask yourself and evaluate how you are doing with this kind of love. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; (Ask yourself do I?) love does not envy; (Ask yourself do I?) love does not parade itself, (Ask yourself do I?) is not puffed up; (Ask yourself am I?) 5 does not behave rudely, (Ask yourself do I?) does not seek its own, (Ask yourself do I?) is not provoked, (Ask yourself am I?) thinks no evil; (Ask yourself do I?) 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, (Ask yourself do I?) but rejoices in the truth; (Ask yourself do I?) 7 bears all things, (Ask yourself do I?) believes all things, (Ask yourself do I?) hopes all things, (Ask yourself do I?) endures all things. (Ask yourself do I?) 8 Love never fails…”

Well, how did you do? I certainly have plenty of room for improvement! If we are honest I think all of us need improvement. This is not to condemn anyone or make you feel judged, criticized or less than. One of the great things about God’s love is that it changes us, we don’t have to stay the same. We can submit ourselves to Him and allow Him to work in us and bring the changes we need. We can allow Him to grow His love in us.

As we grow in this kind of God-love we make Jesus evident to those around us, I want my life to do this. Lord help me where I am weak and in need of your correction and help me to love those better each day that don’t know you and the awesome Body of Christ that I am part of! Let us be the loving proof of Jesus in this world!