Hard Days
Some days are harder than others. Some days everything goes to plan. Some days there may as well have not been a plan.
It can be difficult to live in our world, let alone to love in our world. I don’t know about you, but on those really tough days, I’m not sure I want to love. I’d rather have someone share love with me than me be the one who shares love.
Remarkably, love is exactly what we need on those really hard days. We need to shift our focus from “me centered†to “neighbor centered.†Jesus tells us clearly to love God and love all of God’s people. There is no commandment greater than these. Notice the absence of love for ourselves. It doesn't mean we shouldn’t care for ourselves. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are temples and we are to honor God with them.
I have to think that loving our neighbor through acts of service is the embodiment of using our bodies to honor God. This could mean cutting a neighbors lawn, or listening to them as they share their hurts, or walking alongside them as the journey through the decision to break the habits that may be holding them back from experiencing Christ in a deeper way, or giving a hug to a person who feels alone and needs to be reminded that they are loved, or any number of other actions you make take to serve your neighbor.
On those days that really seem hard, don’t abandon loving your neighbor. Instead seek out ways to show love. Find ways to honor God with the body He has given you.
1 John 4:7 - Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt
It can be difficult to live in our world, let alone to love in our world. I don’t know about you, but on those really tough days, I’m not sure I want to love. I’d rather have someone share love with me than me be the one who shares love.
Remarkably, love is exactly what we need on those really hard days. We need to shift our focus from “me centered†to “neighbor centered.†Jesus tells us clearly to love God and love all of God’s people. There is no commandment greater than these. Notice the absence of love for ourselves. It doesn't mean we shouldn’t care for ourselves. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are temples and we are to honor God with them.
I have to think that loving our neighbor through acts of service is the embodiment of using our bodies to honor God. This could mean cutting a neighbors lawn, or listening to them as they share their hurts, or walking alongside them as the journey through the decision to break the habits that may be holding them back from experiencing Christ in a deeper way, or giving a hug to a person who feels alone and needs to be reminded that they are loved, or any number of other actions you make take to serve your neighbor.
On those days that really seem hard, don’t abandon loving your neighbor. Instead seek out ways to show love. Find ways to honor God with the body He has given you.
1 John 4:7 - Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt
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