– Love Your Brothers and Sisters –
On a Saturday, as I was resting in my room, listening to the pouring of rain and the earth-shaking sound of thunder, I had a flashback of my grandparents and how they would make us sit down and turn off all electricity when it was thundering. My grandfather was a preacher who told us that God was working, to stop playing, and to sit down. At that moment, I thought that maybe my granddaddy was right. How often do we miss God’s voice or an answer to a problem because we are too busy with our everyday lives to pray, breathe, relax, and communicate with God.
How many still revere and honor the house of God? For those who grew up attending church regularly, like me, let’s have an honest moment. Outside of technological advancement, can you say that churches nowadays are the same as when you were growing up? The church should be a house of worship, a safe place for one to come to find peace, healing, deliverance, and joy. Will we get back to the day when we stop treating the church as a stage play for characters to play a role, pretending they are operating in the Holy Spirit? Will we learn to be the church, the body of Christ?
We engage in acts of greed, adultery, fornication, theft, deception, and gossip within and outside of God’s house, which should be consecrated for the worship of God. The worst part is that we try to justify the behaviors. Using excuses, such as, God knows my heart. Not realizing that God knows your heart is the problem. We take God’s mercy and grace for granted. I imagine God saying, how many chances and warnings must I give my people? Please tell my people that I am soon to come and I’m looking for a church without a spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Being one who believes that we, as the church, should be holy and without blemish, I will share three things that are essential in our everyday journey.
SN: In reading this blog, you will notice references to several biblical scriptures. The reason is that I believe there is truth in the bible. Understanding, following and applying the principles to everyday life gives you access to knowledge beyond your imagination.
Back to the topic at hand, here are the three!
- Love your brothers and sisters.
- Love not this world and do not indulge in its pleasures.
- Render unto Ceaser what is due to Ceaser.
1. Love your brothers and sisters.
First, love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Second, love thy neighbor as thyself.
To understand the depth, think about the love that a parent should have for a child. For example, I thought about the love that I have for my son. For me, the love that I have for my son is priceless and selfless. No matter his behavior or what he could offer in return, I have unconditional love for my son. There’s not a time that I would let him go without if it’s in my power to help. I wouldn’t let him go hungry, without clothes or shelter. I have gone without, so my son didn’t have to. You would never hear me lying or gossiping about him. In whatever way I can encourage and support my son, that’s what I do. I can’t see him standing in harm’s way, and I don’t step in to protect him, even if it means the loss of my life to save him.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matt 25:37-41
This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:12
The Bible further explains love in 1 Cor. 13:4-7: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely…. When you have a moment, read the remainder of the scriptures for what love should look and act like. As the body of Christ, this is the type of love we should show toward others.
If a man says, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he, that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1 John 4:20
Our love should go beyond our biological family, past the thought of only loving those who love us and treat us right. No, the body of Christ’s love should supersede our feelings or emotions. The Bible asks us these questions: For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. The scriptures say, love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest… Luke 6:27-38 tells us to bless them that curse us and pray for them which despitefully uses us.
How can we love others when we are quick to judge and decide that a person is not worthy to be loved because they have wronged us or someone close to us?
Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First, take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Matt 7:1-5
If Jesus Christ did not come to judge a person, what gives us the right to judge a person.
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
John 12:47
You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
John 8:15
I’m not saying that having unconditional love for everyone is easy, but God requires it. It takes the practices of forgiveness, self-reflection, and empathy. Remember, the Lord does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
Always remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Okay, I had a lot to say about love. LOL! So, I will stop here and share the rest on my next post.
Stay tuned and stay in this journal!
In the meantime, start showing unconditional love toward your brothers and sister and watch how your light lights the pathway for others to see and follow.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matt 5:16