Category: Love One Another

“Have a Hard Time Loving?”

In the past decade or so, it has become rather popular to say, “I love you,” when we part with Loved ones. I do not want to challenge the sincerity of the one saying this, but I do want us to challenge ourselves….

Do we? Do we Love them? Or are we just caught up in a culture of saying something we “kind of” mean? 

So in this Month of Love, I’d like us to truly inventory our Love for our Loved ones (and for Jesus, too, by the way). I would like us to see how much we are willing to Love our Lord Jesus and each other as He has Loved us.

I’d like us to Love as smooth as S.I.L.C.

Sacrifice, but don’t complain.

Initiate, but don’t impose.

Listen, but don’t assume.

Care, but don’t possess

 If we but yield to the Lord Jesus to have Him do these simple Love-Acts of Kindness in and through us, we would be more than modeling the Love we profess at each parting…, and we will be manifesting the Lord’s divine Love of  Grace….

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. –1 John 4:16-18 (NIV84)

Peace,

Pastor Mike

“Let Us Love One Another”

Our Lord’s most intimate teaching and, in essence, His last “Command,” is found in what is commonly called the Upper Room Discourse. He is about to be savagely treated, but He made time to wash His disciples’ feet, eat with them, and encourage them:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-45 NIV84)

The Son of Thunder, who has become the Beloved Disciple, echoes this in 1 John 4:7-8:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7–8 NIV84).

And this Love is not syrupy, but substantial: Unconditional, Sacrificial and Other Centered:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13:4-7 NIV84).

So why is Loving one another so important? One simple answer is because the world is going to hate us. It hated Jesus, so why are we so surprised (see John 15:18)? Our Lord is telling us, “You are all you have so try to get along.” How are we doing?

Peace,

Pastor Mike