...As I have loved you...

John 13:34 says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

I have this scripture hanging on my living room wall and today, while folding diapers for baby boy, I kept thinking about that "As I have loved you" part... Not "love one another as long as you agree on everything." not "love one another as long as they are nice to you." but "Love one another. As I have loved you"


If we really get down to it, if God can love us in spite of our many sins against Him, if he was willing to send his Son to die for those sins so that we could live with Him for eternity, shouldn't we try to love one another even when we disagree on something? Even when we feel like someone may have wronged us? 

Psalm 130:4 says: "But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you."  

Philippians 2:3-4 
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

He's forgiven us of our sins, why can't we be willing to forgive others when they sin against us or those we love? I know this is something I've struggled with in the past. Are we serving God with reverence? Are we loving his people the way he loves us?

The Bible says in Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven..." 

Proverbs 10:12 

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Now, that doesn't mean that we have to in trust people, especially those that have wronged us. I haven't found a verse yet that says to continue to trust those that have hurt you... Or that we should put our faith in people, people WILL let us down, God won't!

Psalm 9:10

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Proverbs 25:26 says "Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked."

Who wants to be a Muddy Spring? When we put our faith in people, we will always be disappointed, because people aren't perfect and haven't been since Eden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We will always fall short, others will always fall short. Love them anyway because God loves us even though we fail him daily. If the God of Heaven, who sent his son to die for us, can forgive us, we should be willing to forgive others and share the love that He pours out on us... "Love one another. As I have loved you" 

1 Corinthians 13:13 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 John 4:11

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.