“A heart is not judged by how much you love,
but by how much you are loved by others.” I saw this quotation, attributed to
the Wizard of Oz, on a wall plaque in a gift shop.
The Wizard of Oz may be a good story, but
it’s not a reliable source of spiritual information. God said something quite
different. According to Him, the greatest commandment is to love—to love Him
first and then others (Mark 12:29-31). Scripture says nothing about expecting
to be loved in return. In fact, Jesus stated the opposite in His most famous
sermon: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds
of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for
great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:11-12).
When it comes to love, the important thing we
need to know is this: All love starts with God (1 John 4:19). As Moses told the
Israelites, God delighted in them to love them (Deut. 10:15), and because of
that they were to love others, even strangers (v.19). God’s intent is that the
people who receive His love will become the conduit of His love to others.
Apart from God—who Himself is love—none of us
could truly love or be loved (1 John 4:7-8).
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
(1 John 4:8) – (RBC)
