I have had so much going on that my life path throws at me another thing right after dealing with something. Do you ever feel like this? I do. And right when I get done dealing that thing, yet another thing comes along to keep me from complacency. And it feels like to so much that I have decided not to get comfortable or complacent. I have decided to just take this life path for what it is, and just remember the two rules of life: Love God with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind, and love others as I love myself.
Here’s the thing, I feel as though I love others more than myself, and that is sort of a problem. If I am to love others as I love myself, I must love myself as I love others. Love is fully defined in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice with wrongdoing, but it rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believe all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends.” Then we later find out that God is love. This is what is says in 1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
In this way, I am speaking of love in an active way. Just like God actively looking to show us love in helping us and bless us as His children, His people. In 2 Chronicles 16:9a, it reads, “For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong on behalf of those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him.” JB Williams states 1 John 17-20 this way:
"We know, and to some extent realise, the love of God for us because Christ expressed it in laying down his life for us. We must in turn express our love by laying down our lives for those who are our brothers. But as for the well-to-do man who sees his brothers in want but shuts his eyes - and his heart - how can anyone believe that the love of God lives in him? My children, let us not love in mere theory or words - let us love in sincerity and practice. If we live like this, we shall know that we are children of the truth and can reassure ourselves in the sight of God even if our own hearts makes us feel guilty. For God is infinitely greater than our hearts and he knows everything."
This really did open up the passage for me a bit. Love is shown by doing something. It is not just a ‘feeling’. Serving others is a way of showing love for others. Jesus showed us how much He loved us when He took on the mission to the cross and back. He is was active in His love. He taught us while He was here, and exemplified what love truly is. He taught us to grow in our faith. He taught us to persevere in tribulation. He taught us more than I could possibly dive into in this post. The point is, He was actively loving us in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. He is still actively loving us as He advocates to the Father on our behalf.
The word ‘Christian’ means ‘Christ follower’. So as Christ-followers, we are to actively DO what Christ has taught, and that includes love. Those two aforementioned commands both include the word ‘love’. Loving others may be costly and uncomfortable at times, but that love serves to uplift each other. And when we all actively love and uplift each other, we can flourish in God’s purposes and will. We can accomplish what God has purposed for us to do. God strengthens us not only directly but indirectly through others. This gives the phrase ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ even more relevant to our mission.
As a final summary, God loves us because He is love. And that is poured out into and through us as His children. This love is too powerful and great to just hoard. We need to share that love actively loving God, others, and ourselves in a healthy way.
Gotta go fill up my cup…..
Coffee with Candee 