The Christian understanding of love involves giving selflessly to another. Love is relational. If you love someone, it doesn’t merely mean you have certain feelings for that person, but that you are willing to sacrifice for their benefit. Love, in fact, is a choice. It is a choice to give freely of yourself for the good of another. With this in mind, let’s consider Jesus’ words again. Jesus calls us to love God with our heart, soul, and mind. In other words, He wants us to love Him with everything we are. God wants all of us. He invites us to love Him because that is what we have been created for. In fact, a loving relationship with God is what is best for us. And if we truly love God with all that we are, then we will obey His commandments. But part of loving God is also loving others. For we can’t love God without also loving those He created. In fact, often our way of loving God comes through loving our neighbor. Our neighbor, we must remember, also includes our enemies. We are called to work for the good of even those who hate us. In this way, we truly live out the Christian life.
Adults: How has God’s love for you helped you to act charitably toward others?
Children: Does God’s love for you help you to show love toward others?
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