Win Our Hearts With Love

I'm often impressed by a line in a hymn that causes serious reflection. On Sunday we sang hymn #175, "O God, the Eternal Father." I was impressed with a line from the third verse. 

When Jesus, the Anointed, Descended from above And gave himself a ransom To win our souls with love.

Jesus wins our souls with love. I began to wonder why the author chose "love" as the last word of the phrase when there are so many other possibilities available. What about these alternatives:

• win our souls by arguing with us 
• win our souls by yelling at us
• win our souls by making fun of us
• win our souls by making us feel stupid
• win our souls by being mean

None of those fit with Christ. I think the author made the correct choice of words. Jesus doesn't make fun. He doesn't argue with us. He loves us (Romans 8). He invites us to change. As we feel his love we want to change. 

I would do well to follow the saviors example. How frequently do I have a motive or a method other than love? Arguing with people will not win their souls, as also yelling and making fun are ineffective. Love unfeigned must be the foundation of any change.