John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
When you read the Scripture's you will realise that loving others as ourselves wasn't really a new command. I say this because the Bible says is Leviticus 19:18, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. So to me this implies that loving others as much as ourselves isn't really a new command but instead to love others as much as Jesus Christ loved us is a new command and alien to us. This because Jesus Christ's love is absolutely unconditional and has no limits and He demonstrated this love to us by dying on the cross for our sins even though we didn't deserve it.
When I think and ponder over this new way of loving others just as Jesus loved us it's so daunting. However also hard work and rather refreshing at the same instance because, it will not only bring unity into our society making us more unified with them but it will also make us believers stronger and united in a world hostile so to God. Today, I want each one of us to remember just as Jesus is a living example of God's love so we are a living example of Jesus' love. The world need to see the love of Jesus through us to cvome to the understanding that He is really the saviour and the answer to it's many porblems. Instead of it being implied to be the troubles of this world. Lets make it our mission and goal to love ourselves and others just as Jesus loved us by allowing His free gift of grace to work in us to do His will. We are the light of the world!
Reflections:
The Bible clearly says if you love God as much as you say you do, you will love others just as much as He loved you. If you are finding it very difficult to love others and to see beyond their faults, mistakes, shortcomings, ignorance, sin etc then I will suggest you make a check on your heart. And go before Jesus and confess it and ask Him to help you. For His grace is sufficient to make all things possible through us.
Power verses:
and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.--Ephesians 5:2
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.--1 John 4:7
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.--1 John 4:21
The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.--1 John 2:4
2011 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.
It's really only the grace of God that can help us love because sometimes we tend to forget how big a deal love is and think it's just about being nice to the next person. When that person crosses us real bad, NICE goes out the window and because of misplaced understanding LOVE goes right out with it.
ReplyDeleteIt's only by HIS grace.
That's H, it's just the grace and nothing us. However, because God has given each one of us a free will to make our own choices, His grace cannot work in us to will and to do His will until we surrender our will willingly to Him. Only then can He work through us enabling His grace to make the difference in our daily work with Him.
ReplyDeleteShalom,
Enyonam!