so that the world will sing His love.

Our entire world is hinged on one single thing. One thing, but what a vast, complex, simple, powerful thing it is. The single thing that keeps us alive, that caused the Maker of the world to die for His creations, that keeps God spinning the Universe. He could very well mark us up as a lost cause and walk away. He has every right. We've sinned against Him time and time again. He could destroy us in the blink of eye. But He doesn't. Because of love. Because He loves us. Because of the great love that caused Him to set the planets in motion. The love that led Him to create Adam and Eve, the first humans. The love that made Him give us life. You and I. We exist simply and inexorably because God, our Father, loves us, and wants us to be. He has loved us since before time began and will forever more. He loved us so much that He wants us to spend eternity with Him.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that
whoever believes in  Him might not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Most all of us know that verse by heart, it was one of the first things I ever memorized. But so often I spit out the words like a machine and don't stop to really think about what they mean. God loved me so much that He sacrificed His one and only child, to be murdered in one of the most horrible and painful ways in the world, so that if I believe in Him, and love Him, and know that He died to save me from my sins, I will not die, but live eternally with God! What could possibly be a more beautiful promise? We get to spend forever with our Father, and He wants all of us, every single last person on this earth, to be there, no matter how twisted our lives are. Because He loves us!

I can't tell you how much those four letters have been on my heart the past few months. Love. And not the romantic kind. This is the love that causes you to bend down and wash each others' feet. To be the lowliest servant, out of love. To be a blessing to others. In John 13:34+35, Jesus gave us a new commandment. 

That you love one another: just as I have loved you; you also are to love one another. 

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. 

We've been told to love each other, a love that means we're willing to sacrifice ourselves for someone else. The love Christ has for us. Simply, love. And serve. And give from your heart. Give as Christ gave for His bride. He gave us something with His limitless love, something only He could give. Life, life without end. So don't squander it.

Christ gave His life for us, can we not do the same? For our family, friends, coworkers, strangers. Whoever it might be. Give to them. Give from your heart, selflessly and wholeheartedly.

Giving your life though, doesn't necessarily mean that God is going to automatically send you overseas to the mission field. "Great, you're on the bandwagon. Here's a ticket to Africa." He might, of course, but in all probability He'll send you onto a mission field just as important. The home mission field. Right where you're living. From playing with the kiddos after church, to biting back an unkind remark, to praying for others instead of just yourself, to making a meal for somebody, to simply giving someone a hug. Just love them. LOVE THEM. Love, love, love, love, love.

I'm on a mission to love. Extravagantly, deeply, patiently, truly and humbly. Will you join me? I can promise you from the start that it will not be easy. Some people are harder to love than others. We are self-centered people, sometimes all we want to think about is ourselves. But we will love, we do love. Sometimes it will be easy and sometimes it won't, but we will love. We will have to work hard at loving wholeheartedly and selflessly. But we aren't ever alone. We have the biggest and best on our side. He will guide us through anything and everything the Enemy throws our way, in his attempt to lead us astray.

It's not a matter of God helping us to spread His love, much less of Him needing us to help Him. Instead, He will use us to do His will. To tell the world of the Gospel and how His son humbled himself and came to earth to die for our sins. As Mother Teresa said, we are His pencils and He will guide us with His hand. So let Him use you, and let the love we have for each other overflow like never before.

Thank you for reading this, I know it's long. But it's something very close to my heart and something I believe is so important. So important. Let's go out into the world and love them, those people. So that that the world will sing His love.

    Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8+13