Loving God is that simple!

QUITE often, we think that loving God would require

tremendous, almost superhuman effort. In a sense, that is right. After

all, if we have to observe how Christ loved and continues to love his

Father and us, that can only be the conclusion we can get. He went all

the way to offer his life on the cross. Indeed, this love can only

happen with the grace of God, and never just by our own strength.

  

            But from another angle, loving God is actually a very

simple affair. It just requires us to give due attention to those who

are in need of something—food, clothing, shelter, affection, etc.

   

            “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did for

me,” Christ clearly said. (Mt 25,40) He also said the reverse:

“Whatever you did not do for the least of my brothers, you did not do

for me.” (Mt 25,45)

  

            These words of Christ should make us keenly aware of what

St. John said in his first letter about the relation between loving

God and loving others: “If a man says, I love God and hates his

brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he

sees cannot love God whom he does not see.” (4,20) Yes, loving God can

only be by way of loving others.

   

            The immediate corollary we can draw from these words is

that we should try our best to cultivate a pro-active attitude of

loving others, whoever they may be, including those who may be our

enemies in some sense, or whom we consider to be unlovable for one

reason or another.

  

            And we have to understand that loving God by loving others

should not just be a matter of good intentions and sweet words. It has

to be expressed in deeds, and not only from time to time, but always,

starting with the little things we can do for the others, all the way

to the big and extraordinary things that others may need from us.

  

            And when we are faced with a situation where we cannot

help in a human way, we can always turn to God for help, for with him

nothing is impossible. We just have to learn to roll with the punches

of the mysterious ways of God.

   

            Besides, we have to love others by serving them

gratuitously, without expecting any return. We should not count the

cost, because anyway what we have or what we are capable of giving to

the others ultimately comes from God. So we just follow what Christ

once said: “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt 10,8)

  

            Everyday, we should see to it that what drives us is to

love the others. We have to start by always thinking of others,

observing them, trying to figure out what they need, and be ready to

spring into action, leaving behind comfort and convenience, which is

often the case.

  

            We should not be afraid to make sacrifices and a host of

self-denials. These instances of self-denials can only reflect

Christ’s own self-emptying for the salvation of mankind. And so we

become more and more Christ-like, which is what our goal should be,

since we are supposed to be patterned after Christ.

   

            This way, we avoid the trap of self-centeredness and

self-absorption, and the many deceptive pleasures and false hopes that

they give. Even if the sacrifices and self-denials involve a lot of

effort and pain, they actually generate a certain indescribable joy

and peace that the world cannot give.

  

            Besides, having this pro-active attitude of loving and

serving others would give us ample protection from our own weaknesses

and the many temptations around.