When you speak of the love of Jesus, you speak in terms that are difficultly apportioned too. There are far too many ways in which our pride, our jealousies and the reality of our morality convene. We let what is in our head, overrule what is in our hearts and the result is the spoils of love. The scariest part of this existence is that most times we are oblivious to how we sabotage the ways we love and are loved. One might think it would be obvious to see but only One is able to do that without fault.

How many have we caused to stumble as Paul warns against in his letter to the Corinthians? Are we among those for whom the golden rule had been twisted to say do unto others BEFORE they do unto you? Do we lash out before we are lashed out against? Are our plans for our definitive advantage or do we consider the plight of those around us?

So many things that we do are directives for the hurt of others. Words, actions, and thoughts combine to make personal choices difficult and often make choices affecting others, impossible. It is a wonder that we ever get anything right.

The standard is divine love and that has only One source, Jesus Christ. A band of Smalltown Poets wrote a song about the divinity of this love. As we check through the selfish maze of our lives, the reckless and uncertain days, we sometimes forget the omnipresence of divine love. God tests even the purest of our thoughts for any of our hopes that are not built on His rock. Our thoughts tend to want to make victims of our inner desires. God sees clearly through that, He sees what we can only imagine. In fact God sees and can determine that which we cannot.

Paul writes that we should capture all thoughts and not let them fester into spite, malice jealousy or hatred. The song says that our reconciliation is found at the base of Christ’s Cross. Our hopes AND fears are gathered here, completely and wholly visible in His sight.

At the final trumpet cry, when we’re caught up to our Savior’s side, what joy our hearts will find in whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent these are the thoughts of divine love….