“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.”
The bench mark Christ has given us is to love one another as He loves us . In mirroring this love we will mirror Christ for others to see, to know and to love too.
It is self indulgent to pray just to want to feel and receive His love for ourselves.
It is sacrificial to stand in front of everyone and represent Him.
Even if we do not love them in the natural we know that He does and we, in mirrorIng Him, represent Him and exhibit Him in our response from the heart instead of the head.
The world’s love is in seeking our own pleasure, benefit for ourselves, self fulfilment, self serving, self preserving.
The opposites of each of these are the sacrificial love that Jesus modelled.
He did not give money, belongings, processions, time. He gave Himself.
We individually and corporately as the body, the church, are imitates of Him
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Our prime weapon in warfare is love. The enemy cannot abide in that place. Love and affirmation spoken over others delivers them and makes space for the HolySpirit to make His home.
It may cost us to love others if they are hurting. We have to refuse to be pushed away, to push closer to hug and hold the stinging nettle before us to prove to them they are loveable. Maybe put into practice forgiveness knowing the debt that we have been forgiven of and mirroring that love.
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
We must reflect a Jesus who loves not an offended, broken part of ourselves when others see us. Be His hands feet, eyes, ears mouth and heart.
Jesus sat with those others would have rejected, loving them. Even those who would betray Him. His humility was to love others more significantly than Himself in their needs and interests.
“complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition 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.”
It is a new way of belonging to one another, hurting together, rejoicing together. Loving on God’s terms not ours.
We may, on occasions, feel taken advantage of in the midst of some takers but mirroring Christ as servant.
It may be a seed sown that germinates in the future. That God has the time and place to work through.
The illustration shows the love in us as those who will be love to the prickliest. Prepared to hug the nettle no thought of cost only in knowledge of its worth and value. Light emanating to push back the darkness.
Five Scriptures that come to mind:
“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 ESV
“complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition 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.” Philippians 2:2-4 ESV
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”Matthew 18:21-22 ESV
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
“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.” John 13:34-35 ESV
The song. Love People. Chris Tomlin
Lessisgreater 