Now This is Love…
On this day when we in this country when we celebrate love, there is a gentle reminder for all of us no matter what our status, found in Galatians 5:13-15 (NLT):
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[a] 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
Admittedly this is not as easy to follow, as to say. Yet, this should be the goal we strive for. Power will return to the church when we recognize we cannot just give lip service to the concept of "love". Our present political climate has somehow made Christians believe that they can get away with hate, because they feel the object of their scorn is worth hating!
The above verse clears up all justification for that kind of attitude. Without a heart that loves others as we do ourselves there is no difference in one’s faith. It takes faith in a real God to determine that what He said in His Word applies to all! And then, having established that, it takes the raw power of God to fill our hearts to overflowing with His love.
When there is a "cat" fight, there is no right or wrong offender or victim – everyone gets hurt! We are not cats, instead we have been privileged:
It says in Scripture,
What is man and woman that you bother with them;
why take a second look their way?
You made them not quite as high as angels,
bright with Eden’s dawn light;
Then you put them in charge
of your entire handcrafted world.
When God put them in charge of everything, nothing was excluded. Hebrews 2:5-7 (MSG)
If this be so, surely we can allow our hearts to be a channel of God’s love.
Maria