To truly show great love, we must sacrifice.   ~~~   It just doesn’t get any better than this! Have you ever said that? I think about moments in my life when my heart was so full. How could anything compare to THIS? Falling in love, the birth of a baby or sitting on the beach watching the sun go down are all moments I’ve thought, it really can’t get any better than this! Then it does. A new moment. A new memory. A new blessing. What about when it comes to things that changed the world? We love the history channel and it’s fascinating to watch innovation, products and ideas that have changed our lives for the better. I’m sure there were times way back then people thought, ‘wow this couldn’t get any better!’ Then along came the wheel, indoor plumbing, the printing press, penicillin, the lightbulb, concrete, the telephone, McDonalds and so much more that did in fact make things better! Something new can be a really good thing, unless it’s NEW coke. That was a huge sugary flop back in 1985. It goes down as an epic FAIL of trying to improve something already great. In the moment, when something is already a good thing, it’s tough to imagine how it could be made better. Nothing is better than the original. But when it actually IS, our minds are blown and we think, how did we ever manage before? It can’t get any better than this. Then, our eyes are opened to a NEW way. When you think about LOVE, could love ever get any better? Could we love more? Could there be even deeper ways to show someone we love them? God commanded His people to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ all the way back in Leviticus 19:18. The command was not to view the world as us and them, but God required love for all. Fast forward to Jesus’ ministry and the command from Leviticus had been tweaked just a bit by the religious elite over the years. Yes, love your neighbor as yourself, but hate your enemy. They don’t deserve your love. Jesus corrected that and turned it all upside down in his sermon on the mount. Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you and pray for those who use you and persecute you. Love the undeserving, because aren’t we all in fact, undeserving? When asked what is the greatest command in Matthew 22, Jesus said, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and then love your neighbor as yourself.” Again, he is pointing us to be fully devoted to God and then be a conduit of God’s love to others. Is it possible to love someone even more than that? Jesus takes it even deeper. John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Love one other, we get it? But what’s NEW about it? How was Jesus improving on how to love our neighbor? Jesus said, “love one another as I have loved you.” How has Jesus loved me? He died for me. He loved me MORE than He loved himself. That’s the NEW part. He put my need above his own. It’s a selfless, sacrificial love. That’s how we are to love one another. How can I put you ABOVE me? Do you love your neighbor like that? That’s how Jesus loves. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) There is no greater love. And it really doesn’t get any better than that. That’s the truth. So when we talk about love, remember it requires sacrifice. Love your enemies. Lay your life down for one another. It’s no longer about me. That’s how Jesus loves and that kind of love is what changes the world. I’m Lori Cline.