Three Christian Virtues: Love
The Divine love is one of the main and most important notions of Christianity. It is inalienable from the notion of freedom. God, the Creator of the universe, made all the living creatures free and let them have their own will. Our freedom is a Divine gift from the Lord to the creatures, who are allowed to live free, but at the same in the union with God. This very form of union is what we call the Divine Love. It is a desire to live and serve not just for one’s own sake, but for our close ones as well.
"No one can say
what God’s love is, if the Holy Spirit does not reveal it. But in our Church God’s
love is known by the Holy Spirit, and this is why we can talk about it." (St. Silouan
the Athonite)
"The Lord teaches us to believe just like a mother teaches her child to walk. She
sets him down, turns aside and tells him to go in her direction. The child cries without her support and fears to make a step. He tries to go but falls on the ground. This is how God teaches us to believe. Our faith is weak like a child who cannot yet walk.
Sometimes God leaves a Christian and make him suffer, but then, when there is a
need, He saves him. God is near and He is ready to take a weak Christian in His arms. This is why we should learn to turn our heart to God in case of any
grief or devil’s schemes. Pray wholeheartedly and ask Him for help, and then
you will get what you want. You just need to know God with your heart and hope
for Him, to believe that He is all-merciful. This is how God teaches us to accept
our weakness and to hope for Him." (St. John of Kronstadt).
The life of the heart is love, while rancor and enmity are its death.
God makes us live on earth so that love can penetrate and fill our
hearts. This is the aim of our temporal world. God’s love arises in us and
acts, when we begin to love other people just like we love ourselves; when we
do our best to serve other people, our close ones, and are ready to share with
them everything we have; when we try to please God instead of pleasing
ourselves; when we submit our material mind to God’s mind… In the Holy Scriptures
it is said: “If a man say, I love
God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John,
4:20) and “And they that are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts”
(Galatians, 5:24).
Remember that
God is in every Christian. When a person comes to you, have respect for him,
as God is in him. The Lord expresses His will through people quite often: “For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians, 2:13). Be sincere with everyone
and be kind towards other people. Remember that sometimes God makes the hearts
of the unfaithful turn to us, just like it happened with Joseph: “But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him
mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison”
(Genesis, 39:21).
Remember that a human being is a greatest creation of God. But
after the fall this creature(human beings) became infirm and subject to many
weaknesses. Do love him and respect him, as he is the bearer of the Lord’s
image, and carry his weaknesses. It was said: “We then that are
strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves”
(Romans, 15:1), “Bear ye one
another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians, 6:2).
Do love every
human being despite all his faults. In spite of the sins, remember that the image of God is the
only basis of a human being. Sometimes peoples’ weaknesses are evident, for
example, when they are angry, proud, envious, and mean. However, remember that
evil lives in your soul as well. At least, all people are equal in their sins: “For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God” (Romans, 3:23). We are all guilty in the face of God and we
all need His mercy. That is why we should put up with and forgive each other,
so that our Heavenly Father could forgive us for all our sins as well: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew, 6:14). Can you see that
God loves us very much, that He has done and has been doing so much for us,
that He punishes mercifully and forgives generously? If you want to heal
someone from his sins and flaws, then do not try to do it by your own means. In
such a way we rather harm than help, for example, because of our pride and
impatience. But lay your sorrow upon God and pray wholeheartedly that He
enlighten the heart and mind of the person.
And if He sees that your prayer is full of love, He will fulfill your
wish. Soon you will notice that the person you have been praying for is going
to change.
Being a true Christian who strives to do good and preserve the treasure of love, be happy
for every opportunity and be kind towards other people. Do not seek kindness
and love, but consider yourself to be unworthy of them. Rejoice best when you have a
possibility to help someone. Show your love without any ulterior and mercenary
thoughts, and remember that God is love, a Simple Being. Remember that He knows all your
thoughts and wishes. Be brave and determined for every good deed, kind words
and concern, and especially for sympathy and help. Always say: “I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians, 4:13), “If thou
canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark, 9:23).
Translated
from: http://azbyka.ru/lyubov-carica-dobrodetelej
