Early in my spiritual journey, at a very low point in my life, I heard a soft, quiet voice speaking to my soul. I heard the question “What is Love?”  To this I replied, “Love is a feeling” and that same gentle voice replied “Wrong”.  So I asked “What is it then?” and the voice I believe was God replied “Love is a choice”.

Then through the power of the Holy Spirit I realized that God who is love itself can only be honoured if our choices honour His Holy Will.  Now at times we may make choices without really considering or understanding the consequences and that’s typically when we are at great risk of making terrible errors.  When we live in ‘spiritual discernment’ we are constantly trying to determine ‘what is God’s holy will in this situation?’ and ‘how can I please God’.

The challenge every human being faces is that it is natural to want to do what ‘feels good’, but that choice is not necessarily what ‘is good in God’s eyes’.  If we want to truly love God then we must give ourselves to God in an act of total consecration.  That means we exist for one purpose alone and that is to be His instrument of love in the world.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  1 John 4:  16-19

In this world ‘love’ is often thought of as a set of beautiful positive emotions and actions offered to people we care deeply about and I would agree yes loving those who love us is love but God calls for a kind of love that is more challenging that just loving those that love us.

Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:46-48

“Being perfect’ as God is perfect requires that we understand something of God’s mission of salvation.  Jesus was sent into the world to ‘save it’.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17

I remember a little girl telling me this story.  She said there was a little girl at school who ‘bullied her’ and I asked ‘so what did you do?’ and she replied ‘I invited her to my birthday party.’  So I inquired further ‘and then what happened?’  She replied ‘we became friends’.

What I love about this story is the little girl could have closed her heart to someone who was hurting her yet she decided to try to befriend her.

Jesus tells us. “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  Matthew 4: 44-45

We don’t have to invite our enemies into our homes as the little girl did, but Jesus is calling us to pray for them.

Why?

Because Jesus wants to convert them and invite them into His heart and ultimately into His eternal home!  Jesus has the power to end violence, to change hearts, to stop natural disasters, to heal bodies, minds and souls.  This power to restore is unlimited if we believe with our whole hearts in the power of His Infinite Love and Mercy.

Do you believe Jesus has infinite power?

Let us pray with great confidence in God’s will to change our world for the better as He restores our souls and lives one day-at-a-time.

“Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt…You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.”  Matthew 21:21

Let’s show God our faith through our fidelity.  Let’s strive to make ‘choices’ that are ‘love in action’.  We show God we love Him each time we do His Holy Will.  In each choice we make we can say “Jesus I love you” but to do this we must become aware of the choices we are making by reflecting on them and praying for God’s guidance.

Jesus made a difficult choice to give His life in God’s plan of salvation.  When we reflect on the choice Jesus made we reflect on the greatness of God’s love for us.