Love Is the Reason

"God is love." - 1 John 4:16

In the early church, many of those who followed Jesus lived a life of intense persecution and some were even killed for their faith in him.
Today, missionaries and people around the world risk their own lives to share the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. They live their lives solely for the purpose of sharing God's love with other people. They give their time, their talents and their treasure all for this purpose. But why? What would cause someone to do such a thing? 

If you've never experienced Jesus, I mean really experienced him, then you cannot understand it. It can only be understood if you know Jesus, if you've encountered him. Otherwise, you may have your own ideas and opinions why someone would do some of the things they do. Why do Bill and Nancy give such a large portion of their income to the church or people in need when their own family can barely afford to eat? Why does Sally spend so much of her own time volunteering to serve and care for others when she could really use the rest and relaxation? Why does Prasad risk his life to tell others about a god they may or may not believe in? 

The answer to these questions is found in the Bible in 1 John 4:16, "God is love". If you've encountered Jesus, you know what this means. You've experienced it. You've tasted it. You desire it- not only for you, but for everyone. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience this love, this God. It breaks chains. It heals. It brings hope. It gives new life. It gives eternal life.

Love is the reason the apostles and missionaries and ordinary people like you and I risk our lives to share Jesus' love with others. For me, and possibly for you if you live in the western hemisphere, risking our life may not mean being killed, but it may mean risking relationships, employment or a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. It will most likely cause people to look at us funny or think of us as weird. It will definitely cost us our reputation in the sight of men and of the world. If you were born again, those old buddies you used to party with will likely stop calling when you tell them that Jesus loves them so much that he died for them.

But that's okay. It's okay what people think of us- right or wrong; negative or positive; if they love us or hate us. Because God loves us. God is love, therefore we love. We want them to experience Jesus. We want them to get a taste. We want them to be freed from the chains of sin. We want them to be healed. We want them to have hope and be given new life. We want them to have eternal life with Jesus. That is the reason. Love is the reason.