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Issue link: http://magazine.kcm.org/i/1525256
by Mark Hankins B V O V : 1 9 shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well." Verse 13 says, "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Love comes from God, and everyone in His family can love like He loves because we share His nature (1 John 4:7-8). Never underestimate the reach of God's mercy as demonstrated when Jesus forgave the thief on the cross. Love restored the woman caught in the act of adultery. Religion would have killed her, but instead of throwing rocks, Jesus bent down, wrote in the sand, and her accusers had to walk away. Mercy triumphed over judgment and is the standard for us to follow. When I was a teenager, I had an encounter with the love of God that changed the direction of my life. I was sitting in church on a Sunday morning after being out with my friends on Saturday night. I was not exactly living right; in fact, I was backslidden. In the middle of the service, a man named Brother F.E. Ward stepped up to the platform and said he had a word from God for someone. Well, that someone happened to be me! My friend next to me whispered, "You're a dead duck now." As I walked to the front I began to repent of my sins. I reminded God that if He revealed them, my father would kill me, and I would be of no use to Him then. Instead of a giant fly swatter coming to squash me from heaven, Brother Ward began to tell me how much God loved me and how He had a plan for my life. All the rebellion melted and I received direction for my life that day. If He loves us like this, we can love others in the same way. God's Definition of Love Look at what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 about love: Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a su¡ered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). There are nine aspects of the love of God which can be described as light shining through a prism and dividing into many colors. Patient: Love is grace for imperfect people. Love is not in a hurry, but is persistent and