climbing the mountain of love
"If we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us." —1 John 4:12
The Lord has a wonderful plan for our lives (see Jer 29:11). He plans for us not only to be loved or give love but even to abide in love and thereby abide in God (1 Jn 4:16). God Who is Love orchestrates the events of our lives to help us climb the mountain of unconditional love. When we sin, we fall down the mountain. When we obey, forgive, or repent, we climb up the mountain. Step by step, love by love, we can reach the heights of Christ's love (see Eph 3:18). Eventually, we can reach the mountaintop of love, that is, heaven, where the love is unconditional, perfect, and everlasting in the presence of God, Who is infinite Love.
This Christmas season, take several, big steps up the mountain of love. Love your spouse more than you have ever loved him or her. Forgive and love your enemies. Love strangers enough to tell them the good news of God's crucified love. Love as never before. This is the meaning of Christmas and of life.
Prayer: Father, may I break new ground in love and climb higher than I've ever been before.
Promise: "In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as He is, so are we in this world." —1 Jn 4:17
Praise: Ralph continues to care lovingly for his wife who has Alzheimer's.
Reference: (To learn more about the Bible and help you climb the mountain of love, we have several large series of teachings on audio tape. One is forty tapes on the New Testament. To start, order the four tapes covering the entire gospel of Matthew, audio tapes #700, 701, 702, and 703. Another series is a thirty tape series, an introduction to each book of the Bible. It includes both the New and the Old Testament. To start, order the tape covering Matthew and Mark, audio tape AV 21-1.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend David L. Zink, June 12, 2002
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 13, 2002