| | ohh... how i miss xanga.
The endless hours of homework procrastinating....
...like right now....
But i'm mostly doing this for Alex... lol.
So i'm supposed to be doing an essay on "Hiroshima" but i haven't read it, and have no clue what to write about. It'll be fun.
Sooo... I thought i'd share some of what's been going through my mind.
What does it mean to love people?
What does it mean to put others before yourself?
WHY should we put others before ourselves, and WHEN should we?
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Key word there: commandment. Notice God doesn't say "All people will know you are my disciples because you're such a good person", or "because you go to church every day", or "because you do this and that", but "if you have love for one another". It's God's primary concern.
Here's where it gets good:
Luke 6:27-28 "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."
God doesn't just want us to love those who are easy to love. He doesn't want us to please ourselves by withholding love from those whom we don't feel deserve it.
So... we figured out God wants us to love others, but how do we do that?
Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Okay, so practical advice #1- be humble. Humility means looking to other's interests.
Ephesians chapters 4 and 5 give some great advice for loving others.
- "put off your old self" - change your habits!
- "speak the truth" - pretty obvious i think
- "do not let the sun go down on your anger" - this is important and commonly over-looked. Basically, don't hold a grudge. If you feel you have a right to be angry, then you should at least take the time to fix the situation, otherwise your anger is unwarranted.
- "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." - plain and simply: build others up. There is honestly no place for words that tear others down.
- "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slandor be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - speaks for itself.
- "be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,"
Philippians 2:24- "Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world"
So, there's some pretty good practical advice for living a life of Love that honors God.
One final thought:
Luke 9:23 "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
Loving others isn't something we do to make ourselves feel good, or make ourselves look like a better person. It is self-sacrifice. Humility in the truest sense of the world. We should love our enemies DAILY, not just when we feel like it. It is not a simple act, it is a completely different mindset, a different attitude towards life. Paul said it best- "put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24)
That's what it's all about.
|
| | Posted 2/8/2007 11:12 PM - 26 Views - 4 eProps - 2 comments
- recommend
  - recs0
- share
- email
 - sent0
|
