Devotions

Love is the Answer

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10 

I was raised in a loving family. My parents and my siblings lived in loving and caring ways. We had our disagreements and squabbles, but we loved each other dearly and made sure that arguments were settled peacefully when all was said and done. We were taught that our standard was Christian conduct, and the biblical admonition to “love one another” was expected. 

Even a cursory reading of the Bible makes it plain that “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” When asked which is the great commandment, Jesus paraphrased the Torah: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind.” But immediately Jesus added, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In John’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples, “A new command I give you, that you should love one another as I have loved you.” Anyone can easily see that love is what life is all about. 

For many people, loving others is hard to put into practice. Certainly, love is not always easy or convenient. Too often we act selfishly and focus on our own needs and desires rather than on others. We say things and do things that are the exact opposite of “love one another.” In the church, we acknowledge that we are sinful people and make mistakes despite our best intentions. And sometimes we encounter challenging folks, those for whom extra grace is required. 

Another reason it can be difficult to love others is that sometimes we misunderstand what love is. We tend to think of love as an emotional response. But the kind of love God calls us to have for others is the same love God has for us. This godly love is a matter of the will, not the emotions. God has not called us to feel love for each other, but rather to act in loving ways. In Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul names these characteristics in defining love: “love is patient and kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, rejoices with the truth, and never fails.” 

What a lofty list of ideals! Without the help of God, we could never live up to such a benchmark. But fortunately, God gives us the grace and strength to live in loving ways, if we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives. And, of course, the more we strive, the more we learn about God’s love and grow in our practice of love. Therefore, despite the difficulty, we love because we are loved by God. We offer our best to one another in response to God’s great love for us. 

That’s the gospel. 

Passport to Peace

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 

We aren't always certain we want to follow Jesus. He often doesn't behave like we want him to behave. He doesn't do things in the way we want him to do them. When our lives get difficult, sometimes we get discouraged and think he isn’t there to help us. It's a trust issue. In John Bunyan's novel Pilgrim’s Progress, a character named Christian makes a journey of faith. The places where he has trouble making progress are locations where he experiences fear and insecurity. He has reason to be afraid because the circumstances often threaten his well-being. He struggles to hold onto his faith. We know something about that too. There are occasions we doubt the sun is shining because it's dark outside. And we can do some strange things when we are fearful and insecure. In 1976, a man on a flight across America rose from his seat, drew a gun and took the stewardess hostage. "Take me to Detroit," he said. "We're already going to Detroit," she calmly replied. "Oh...good," he said and sat down again. 

Remember that God is greater than our tendencies to panic and faith is the passport to peace. We can call out to God for help with our trust issues and we can encourage one another to get our bearings not from the latest news, but from the good news. This is a growing time, an opportunity to cultivate worship in our homes, expand our prayer life, and learn to dwell on God’s goodness. Each one of us is a patchwork quilt of experiences that make up our individual stories and we all have plenty of stuff we are currently dealing with. Trust that God can and does help. Lean into his arms and stand on his promises. Keep following Jesus no matter what. Remember to call on friends and family for encouragement and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Surround yourself with good resources and be someone who saturates the lives of others with hope. I like the part in Bunyan's novel where “Christian” is making great progress and it's because he has a companion called "Hopeful". My faith journey is made richer by the hopeful people I share it with. People like you.