Friday the 13th

1 John 3:11

¹¹This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

 

A very simple message….a message that has been carried throughout the Bible, and is still the driving force behind the Word today. Love one another. As it rolls off the tongue it sounds easy enough, but when we try to put it in to action, we see that it can be a daunting task. Who gets loved? Everyone….that is a lot of love, and the very reason that it is repeated so often in the Bible. For most of us it is a struggle to love the ones in our life that we really love, let alone love those that are indifferent, or even have ill feelings toward us. Yet that love must be extended. That is why it is important to realize that love, like so many things in life, is a choice. We choose who we show love to; we choose how those around us effect us. No one can steal our love, our hope, or our faith, but we can easily choose not to share it. Once again we are forced to look within ourselves. It is not the world around us and the way we are treated that makes us love less; it is the fact that we allow those around us to manipulate our feelings. People around us do not cause us to not show them love. We choose not to do it. We justify it with phrases like “they don’t deserve my love”, or “they are to mean, or spiteful, or hateful to love”.  Is this how Christ shows us love? Is this the example He left the world? I think not! Christ did not allow the world to dictate his actions, and we should strive to emulate that example. Don’t let the world rob you of the greatest gift any of us can give, Christ’s love. We will be hurt in this world, but that is no cause to withhold love. Christ gave his very life in the ultimate expression of love, let us each work to live a life of love. Let us work to show love to all of those around us. We choose, we decide, the gift is ours to give, or to lock away. Make the choice to love. Love the Lord, love life, and most importantly, let us love one another.

 

Have a great weekend, and God bless,

 

Brian