Good Day, Folks!
Last week I wrote about how important it is to learn to push aside the past guilt you held yourself up to, and begin to learn to love and forgive yourself. This post is going to be about taking this to the next level, and loving others, as well as loving those you might not want to, your enemies. Let's get started, shall we?
We'll begin with a couple of verses from 1 John. The second and third sentence of 1 John 4:16 says, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." And now, 1 John 4:20-21, "If anyone says "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (21) And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." I would recommend that you read from 1 John 4:7- 5:12, to get a more complete understanding of the verses.
As discussed before, the apostle Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." And in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says,43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
So... it's pretty obvious of the supreme importance love plays in the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us plain and simple, that it's no big thing to love or be kind to someone who loves you. We all know that it's fairly easy. Why? Well, to love someone makes you want to show that person how you feel. It's easy to want to be kind to those who are kind to you. For instance, you may want to do nice things for them. You want to be around them. You want to help them. Love is more than a descriptive feeling. Love is a verb of action. It invovles of doing, showing and caring. Anyone, Christian or non-Christian can "love" someone who loves them, without much, if any, difficulty. But, what about those who do wrong to you? What about those people who talk about you behind your back(or to your face), and say mean things or lie about you. Well, you can imagine that, for some people, it would take a lot to love someone like that. Wouldn't it? Every one of us has had that feeling. But, as followers and believers of Jesus Christ and his Word, we are taught that love is the key to the kingdom of god. Remember the two most important commandments? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." We are supposed to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves! Jesus also clarified that "our neighbor" didn't just mean someone next door. Jesus further explained in Luke 10:29-37 the story of a Levite who helped a Samaritan who had been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. There were, typically, many miles between a Levite and Samaritan settlement or village. The Samaritans were not highly regarded in Jesus's time. So, for Jesus to use this description to explain who our "neighbor" is, He wanted us to understand that there was no distance or social status that prevented someone from loving another as if they were their brother(or sister.) Got it?
Let me give you another example: When alcohol began to take over my life, there were many things said about me behind my back. Yes, some of it was true. But, some of it was mean-spirited. And some of the comments and stories were just unfounded made-up lies. We learned in rehab that, no matter what we did to try to repair certain friendships that we had abused or destroyed while we were having our drinking and drugging problems, there would be those people who would never want to repair the damage that had been done to our friendships, even though we had the disease of alcoholism and/or addiction, like a cancer, that took us over. At first, this was something I just couldn't understand. And it made me mad. I mean really mad. According to some studies, If we alcoholics had been diagnosed with any other kind of "socially acceptable" disease that affected our behavior, then we were healed, many, if not most, of those same people would have come back and tried to help us rebuild our lives and friendships. So, it took me a while to come to terms with this fact, that I had no control over this problem, and that I might never get these friends back. Some had even been lifelong friends. But, as I began to rebuild the foundation of my life, with the solid rock of the Word of Jesus Christ, I knew that I was going to have to deal with this anger and betrayal I felt by these old friends before I could truly understand and receive the gift of God's love and guidance to take control of my life and lead me from the initial elementary teachings of God, on to His mature Word and knowledge. We can't understand the deep meanings of His word, without firmly grasping these first, straightforward commandments.
After rehab, as I started to understand and feel the love that Jesus had for me, studying His word on a daily basis, and beginning to learn to integrate His teachings into my life, I also began to be able to also let go of the anger and/or hatred I had for some others, feelings that were totally unrelated to my alcoholic past. A few of them took a while, but with God's help, and prayer, that hatred and anger is gone too. At first, I had compassion for them. I felt sorry for them, that they were living a life full of their own anger, hatred, jealousy, selfishness envy, rage and revenge. I also knew that there was only one way that they could be saved from themselves. That was through God's love and His guiding Word. And prayer. Yes, I started praying for them. Praying helped me begin to love them. Now, anytime I get the opportunity, even when someone is saying mean things or is being rude to me, I am reminded of the pain or emptiness that they are carrying inside of them, without God leading them. I am also reminded that at some point not too many years ago when I had my problems, there were people who continued to love me, were kind to me, and who prayed for me. If it hadn't been for them, I would not be here alive today. That was God working through them to save me. That was the pure love that Jesus spoke about, when He told the story of the Levite and the Samaritan. That, no matter who someone is, or has been, as we deepen our spiritual relationship with God, and as the Holy Spirit begins to lead us in all things in this world, these feelings of hate, anger, jealousy, and envy begin to fade out of our hearts, souls, and minds. And it frees us completely from this evil world. Satan loses again...
So, let me ask you now... Do you see any comparisons to what's happening in your life? Are you mad at someone, and/or struggling to forgive someone? Do it. Not because they deserve it, but because you desire forgiveness from the Lord. God commands that we love our brothers and sisters, and that we love our enemies. Period. Pray for that person. They don't even have to know you're praying for them. It doesn't matter. Sure, if the opportunity arises, by all means, let them know(without making them feel like you are talking down to them.) Pray that they will feel the peace and obtain the salvation and forgiveness that only Jesus can bring into their lives. Finally, Love them. Yes. Love them. Some of these people are hurting so bad for just one kind word. As long as they are alive, hope is there for them, that they may be sanctified through the love of God. And remember, of faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is LOVE.
Let's pray. "Dearest Lord, maker of all things, creator of Love, we come to you in gratitude. We thank you, Lord, for your Holy Spirit, that gives counsel and comfort to our souls. We thank you, Father, for sending us your son Jesus Christ, who brought us His word, and that guides our lives through love, through His undying love for us and by His example He set for us through His life, death for our sins, and resurrection. Teach us, Lord, to defeat Satan by denying animosity, hate, anger, envy and jealousy a place in our lives. Lord, We pray for those who hate us, who do wrong to us, that they will find peace and solace in You and in your Word. We pray that they too will turn away from evil, will follow you, and will receive your blessings. We thank you, God, for being The Light, that shines on our path with you leading us to eternal life in Heaven, that guides us through the valleys, and that shines more powerful than the sun when we stand with you on the mountain-tops. We give thanks for all things holy, and ask these prayers and blessings in the name of our lord, savior and king, Jesus Christ. Amen."
Y'all have a great week. May God bless you and fill your lives with love!
Bro. Jay
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