Title: The Real Thing/ Topic: Love
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29; Jeremiah 30; 1 John 3
Scripture: 1John 3:14-15, 16, 18
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Observation: "Anyone who does not love remains in death." Those are strong words that don't leave any "gray" area. What if we just don't care to be around a particular person? Does that mean I'm remaining in death, spiritually speaking? What is love exactly? Verses 16 & 18 elaborate further. We ought to be willing to lay down our lives for one another. We need to love with actions and in truth and not just with words. Other verses I didn't post here tell us that we can't hate and love also. So if I don't want to shop somewhere because "that's where all the Mexicans shop"(I've heard comments like this) or I am holding a grudge against someone, or if I'm nursing hurt feelings because someone has offended me, or if I just don't want to associate with someone because I feel intellectually superior to them or their personality irritates me, am I remaining in death? I think so. If I'm willing to lay down my life for someone even if I don't particularly care for their personality does that qualify as love? If I fellowship with a person like that and treat them with respect and kindness even though I would prefer the company of others, am I acting in love? I think so. But these questions are important to grapple with. We can't be glib about loving others. It's a serious subject to God.
Application: I need to as the Holy Spirit to reveal my heart to me. This chapter goes on to say that if I can truly say I don't have any hate in my heart toward anyone and if I've loved in deed as well as in word then I can have confidence with God because my conscience will be clear and that He will give me whatever I ask for in prayer. That is powerful motivation to make sure I am loving others as Jesus did.
Prayer: Father, love is not easy. Loving others means I have to forgive all who hurt me from my heart and be ready to re-establish relationship with them and be vulnerable to being hurt again. It means I can't harbor an attitude of superiority toward others. Give me a merciful heart like Yours. Purify me even as You are pure. See if there be any wicked way in me that I am not aware of and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. May I love as You did, in truth and in deed.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 Comments:
Cynthia,
Your blog today reminds me that the true Christian walk is challenging. Jesus calls us to a narrow way that involves personal sacrifice: "whoever would be my disciple must take up his cross daily and follow me." It is not a call to a lifestyle of comfort. It is a call to die.
There is nothing that brings this more to the forefront than the challenge to walk in constant forgiveness and love. At least that does it for me.
Anyway, thanks for a good, thought-provoking blog.
Michael
Cynthia:
Thank you for your blog. I haven't visited in a couple of weeks and pleased to see your postings.
It is hard to sacrifice for others, especially when the brother or sister is so thirsty for companionship that they consume large lumps of time. The most fragile people in the beginning can often times blossom into quite fruitful folks if we are willing to allow God to guide the relationships and invest the time in others.
I'm certainly thankful for the time you and your husband and many people at Fountainhead cared enough to invest in me and my children.
Love, Elizabeth
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