Do everything in love
As I think of loving others I’m immediately drawn to the life of Stephen the prophet, who at the time of his death prayed to God to forgive the one’s who falsely accused and stoned him. ” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:57-60, NIV)Stephen was a man after God’s own heart, He obeyed and mimicked the love shown by Jesus at the cross as He prayed for God to forgive those who were killing Him. This forgiveness demonstrated by Steven is what God meant as He calls us to love others as ourselves. But often in this selfish egocentric society we tend to forget that God did not only call us to love those who love us or who make us feel comfortable, but to love those who do exactly the opposite.
Let’s do a small quiz to see how loving we are….
Are you kind to those who judge you for loving Christ?
Do you pray for the one who is sinning against you?
Do you help out when a needy person begs for help?
Do you take time to listen or smile the socially awkward person?
Are you patient with that one family member who always thinks you are not good enough?
I know it’s not as easy as it sounds, but choose a specific person in your life that you know you haven’t loved as God commanded you to and allow HIM to love that person through you. : )
- Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18, NIV)
- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” ( Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)
- “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. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:7-11, NIV)