Love

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34 NIV)

Philosopher and writer Dallas Willard describes love as promoting the good of another. Love is often confused with what brings pleasure and comfort. Feeling good around a person is not the same as wanting good for the person. Love, in its truest sense, is not about emotions but about actions. It actively wills the growth of a person over the desire for self-promotion. 

Christ loved sacrificially, unconditionally. As Christians we are called to imitate Christ--to promote the good of others even when it is inconvenient. Our default human setting is to seek self-preservation and self-promotion. However, when we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, our natural inclinations are transformed. We are empowered to love as Christ did--supernaturally, unconditionally, sacrificially.