14 February 2014 “Celebration of Love Day”
John 13:34-35
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
New commandment... Looking at the 10 Commandments I notice that the first four relate to loving God and 5-10 relate to other people. The new commandment, love each other, isn’t really new. Honoring our parents, not murdering (or even hating anyone -Matthew 5:21-22), not committing adultery in our hearts or minds, not stealing, lying, or coveting is how we show the love we profess to have to others.
Jesus even said that all the 10 Commandments can be summed up with just two:
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40)
Believers show the world we belong to God not only by what we say but especially by what we do. I could say I love God and I love my neighbor as much as I love myself, but if I don’t actually show this by what I say and do then my declarations don’t mean anything.
If I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)
Today is Valentine’s Day! The whole world celebrates it’s own brand of love on this day every year. But God’s brand of love is a requirement for all the time not just one particular day. It’s super easy to show I belong to God by loving the ones who love me back (and I am so thankful for this tight group of people in my life!). But showing I love God by loving others like he requires would make it the celebration of love day every day all year round.
Dear God,
Thank you for how you love me and for teaching me how to love you and how to love others. I am so thankful for the ones in my life who are easy to love. And I want it to be obvious in my life that I love and follow you by loving the ones that aren’t so easy to love too. Thank you for your Holy Spirit giving me the ability and the desire to do what pleases you regardless of how I feel. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
John 13:34-35
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
New commandment... Looking at the 10 Commandments I notice that the first four relate to loving God and 5-10 relate to other people. The new commandment, love each other, isn’t really new. Honoring our parents, not murdering (or even hating anyone -Matthew 5:21-22), not committing adultery in our hearts or minds, not stealing, lying, or coveting is how we show the love we profess to have to others.
Jesus even said that all the 10 Commandments can be summed up with just two:
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40)
Believers show the world we belong to God not only by what we say but especially by what we do. I could say I love God and I love my neighbor as much as I love myself, but if I don’t actually show this by what I say and do then my declarations don’t mean anything.
If I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)
Today is Valentine’s Day! The whole world celebrates it’s own brand of love on this day every year. But God’s brand of love is a requirement for all the time not just one particular day. It’s super easy to show I belong to God by loving the ones who love me back (and I am so thankful for this tight group of people in my life!). But showing I love God by loving others like he requires would make it the celebration of love day every day all year round.
Dear God,
Thank you for how you love me and for teaching me how to love you and how to love others. I am so thankful for the ones in my life who are easy to love. And I want it to be obvious in my life that I love and follow you by loving the ones that aren’t so easy to love too. Thank you for your Holy Spirit giving me the ability and the desire to do what pleases you regardless of how I feel. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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