Learning to Love
A Word in Season:
Learning to Love
At the beginning of each new year, it's common for people to set goals for themselves. One year I was seeking God concerning His goals for my life and He revealed this word: “Let love be your highest goal” (1Corinthians 14:1 NLT)! As we progress into this new year it is critical to keep the main thing the main thing: “Let love be your highest goal.”
Jesus said the greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). These two commandments: Loving God and loving people should be the motivating factor of our lives.
A prophetically gifted man once had a prophetic experience where he was in heaven and saw people entering through the entry gate. They were all asked a question: “Did you learn to love?” What was God trying to communicate through this supernatural experience? I believe one of the lessons is: Learning to love God and others has eternal consequences.
Love is the most powerful weapon on earth. We are being enlisted in the Lord’s army and have been given the most powerful weapon of all, which is love.
A missionary spoke about challenges she has faced while ministering in Mozambique and how Jesus loved the people to life. She and her ministry team had completed a center for orphans. The Marxist government came in and took over the buildings, trying to kill her, but she escaped in the night.
After years of building a second center, the ministry center experienced an outbreak of cholera. The government came again and said, “We are closing your center.” One woman looked at her and said, “You are going to kill all of Maputo.” “God I can’t carry that.” she prayed.
She had 85 children and pastors in the hospital, defecating, vomiting, and dying. She was told this was a terrible strain of cholera and they were all going to die. “No they are not.” she replied. “God, You said You would not give us more than we can take. You said go and pick up every dying child. You said You would bring a revival and these men (pastor‘s) would care for these orphans. I heard You and I love You and You are going to do something.”
The hospital would not allow others in the cholera room, also known as the dying room. But this missionary looks to God, saying, “God, send your angels and walk in with me.” After which she steps across the line into the quarantined area. Surprisingly they do not try to stop her. She doesn’t disinfect or put on a gown or protective gloves. “God, what do I do?” she prayed. God speaks, “Hold them. Hold them.” She recounts: “I held everyone, 85, defecating on me, vomiting on me. Held them close, right cheek-to-cheek, face-to-face. Just breathed on them. Held them in my arms. And I said, Jesus, love them to life, love them to life, love them to life. And I found others that I didn’t even know were there and I led them all to Jesus. I said, “Love them to life. You’re God.” Every single one was healed. Everyone, the whole hospital cleared out. And the Doctor, she looked at me and she said, “Your god is God.” And she works for us now. No one died, No one died. They said they had never heard of anything like it.”
“Love them to life” is our assignment. Maybe the “them” is an estranged father or mother, an ex-husband or wife, or someone who has hurt and disappointed you. Many are caught in the grip of darkness and spiritual death. We must love them to life.
I once heard a man, who has an international ministry, say that the Lord spoke to him, “You are known all over the world for many things, none of which is love.” How about you? Are you learning to love? “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 – NKJ). Let's keep the main thing the main thing: “Let love be your highest goal” (1Corinthians 14:1 – NLT).