“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).
