Devotion: Beyond Effort – The Transformation of Love
Please review the scripture from this weekend: Matthew 5:38-48
If you by chance haven’t had a chance to experience Pastor Greg’s sermon from this past Sunday, please stop reading this devotion, go watch or listen to his sermon, and then come back and read this devotion.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-48 challenge us to move beyond a transactional mindset of justice and into a life of radical love. He calls us not simply to avoid retaliation, but to willingly love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and give freely without expecting a return. This kind of love is not natural to our human tendencies. It cannot be achieved simply by effort or willpower. It can only be the fruit of transformation, a work of God within us.
Loving as God loves is not about striving; it is about surrender. The Pharisees saw righteousness as strict adherence to the law, a standard they could measure and control. But Jesus calls us beyond the law, beyond mere external obedience, into the reality of God’s Kingdom where we live a life shaped by God’s presence rather than by rules. When we let go of our need for control, justice, and recognition, we create space for God to work in us. As we release fear and resentment, love ceases to be something we do and instead becomes “who we are” as Jesus following people.
Author and spiritual formation leader, Dallas Willard, once said, “We don’t just do loving things; we become loving people.” This is the invitation of God’s Kingdom: Not to force ourselves to act lovingly while harboring inner resistance, but to allow God to transform our hearts and to generate love that flows naturally. We become the kind of person who lives the greatest two commandments which is loving God with all our heart, our soul, and our mind, AND loving our neighbor as ourselves. This is a life free from fear, free from the burden of self-justification, and full of the peace of God.
This transformation is not something we manufacture. It happens in God’s presence. As we let go of our need to control and start yielding to His Spirit, we begin to rest in His love and our hearts are reshaped. We come to see as He sees, to love as He loves—not because we try harder, but because His Spirit works within us.
Heavenly Father, in Your infinite wisdom and love, I surrender my need for control, recognition, and justice. Reshape my heart, so that love flows naturally from within me, reflecting Your divine heart and Your divine love for others. Help me to abide in Your presence, to live freely in peace, and to see through Your eyes. May Your Spirit work within me, transforming me into a vessel of Your love.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Written by Matt Clay
Matt and his wife Joanna have two young daughters, Emery and Madisen. The Clay’s have been members of the Sheridan community since 2014.
Matt’s spiritual growth has been influenced by the teaching of the late Dallas Willard, which led Matt to pursue an M.A. in Spiritual Formation from Spring Arbor University.
Matt works full-time in the financial industry and believes that God has called him to be a steward of His grace and presence in the marketplace.