Tag Archives: The sum of life: love God – love others

See what love can do

Leave a reply

 

 

Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love. – Mother Teresa

 

An expert of the law asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked the man, “What is written in the law?” The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ (Deut. 6:5) and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18).” Jesus responded that the man had answered correctly. “Do this and you shall live,” he said. 

 

There is no question in my mind about it. An antidote to most of life’s ails is found in loving others. It takes our mind off our own woes, those real and perceived, those small and enormous. Ironic, but humility – considering the needs of others – is far from a weakness; it is really a strengthening quality.

 

I was visiting with a friend recently who showed me some pictures from his mission trips to the Honduras. In the display was a saying that caught my attention:

 

One child – one family – one community: see what love can do. 

 

What can love do?  It can teach us patience and kindness and humility. Think how these qualities encourage and value others! Love honors others and ‘forgets’ wrongs. It rejoices in truth. Love protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres – always!  Love can say what words can’t. Love never fails. Love brings about understanding. In fact, it is the greatest and most lasting of any thoughts, actions or attributes. 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

What happens when you pray for and pour love into one child, one family, one community, perhaps far from your own and maybe nearby?  What happens, not just to them, but to you?  Doing what we were created to do – loving others – might not remove all our burdens, but it has the power to lift us above them and to endure them with more grace.  See what love can do today.

Love Is A Choice

2 Replies

Let’s play a game of opposites:
I say, “wet.” You say…..
I say, “night.” You say….
I say, “hot.” You say….

You probably had no problem coming up with the answers: dry, day, and cold, or something similar. But what if I say, “Love.” Would you say the opposite is “hate”. . . or “indifference?”

In all my life I have not found many people who actually hate God. Oh for sure, there are many who are angry or disappointed with God, usually stemming from a deep personal loss or betrayal from people claiming to represent God. Few hate God but many grow cold in their relationship to Him. They don’t feel His love and so they have a hard time loving Him, or even acknowledging Him in their day to day life.

Imagine loving your spouse or child or closest friend without talking with them, enjoying time together, laughing and crying together, even disagreeing. Imagine living with complete indifference toward them. Where is there room for love to grow or even survive?

Not all expressions of love feel like love. A parent’s tough love doesn’t feel like love at the time. A friend offers wise counsel that disagrees with your preferred solution; it doesn’t feel like love.

How do you love when you don’t feel like loving? When the other appears unlovable? When you feel betrayed? When your life is turned upside down? How do you keep on loving when you don’t feel loved back?

Love is much more than feelings. It is not so much something we “fall into” but rather something we continually pursue.

Love is a choice.

The Bible tells us that we can’t escape the love of God. But it also tells us that we can go to a place where we no longer hear His voice. That place is called indifference. And the price of that journey is more than we want to pay.

Jesus sums up all of life in four words:
Love God. Love others.

In business and in life, it is best to live with the end in mind. If love does not define your life now, it won’t define it in the end. What one thing could you do…must you do, to renew loving relationships, with God and with others?

Life is short. Choose love.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength…Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mark 12:30