Love: The Key to Service

By Ilcias Vargas, Jr.

As Christians, we have been called to serve. Yet there is something important that we need in order for us to be effective servants of God; that is love. Paul says that it is God’s love that compels us to service (2 Corinthians 5:14). As humans, we tend to have a warped view of what love is. We think of love as just some warm, fuzzy feeling deep down inside. Often middle schoolers will claim they are “in love” when really, it’s just an intense attraction or infatuation hyped up by hormones. Love is not simply affection. It is the nature of God Himself, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Let me share a few thoughts about the nature of this divine love that empowers us for service. First, God’s love is unselfish in nature. Many people think that the opposite of love is hate, when really, it is selfishness. God’s original purpose for humans was that none of us should ever live for our own selves (Romans 14:7). Love is all about others. Love gives. The ultimate demonstration of this fact was God's gift of His own dear Son.

Another important characteristic of God’s love is that is unconditional. If there is any part of God’s universal creation that is least deserving of His love, it is the human race. God gives us so many blessings, yet we continue to ignore Him and insist on running our lives our own way.  He gave us the marvelous gift of His Son, yet through willfully continuing in sin we basically tell Him, “I don’t care.” But God’s love is unconditional. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or how far we’ve fallen; He still loves us. His invitation is extended to us: “Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37, ESV).

Finally, God’s love is unrelenting. His love for us is so strong that as He sees us in our sins, out of His love for us He desires to save us from our sins (Ephesians 2:4-5). There are Christians today who think that loving sinners means overlooking sin. On the contrary, Christians who are truly filled with God’s love will seek to lead sinners away from their sin and to a Savior who is waiting to receive them with open arms.

As we enter upon a new year in which we seek to fulfill God’s purposes for us as Christians, we need to experience God’s love. Once we have tasted of God’s love, once we are filled with that love, only then can we be effective in service and lovingly lead lost souls to Christ. My prayer for us all is that of the apostle Paul: that we may “know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19, NKJV). May we in this year 2018 experience and impart God’s unselfish, unconditional, and unrelenting love for humanity.