Dear friends, since God loved us, we should love one another" I John 4:11
Sounds like such a simple statement, yet it is so hard for us put away grudges, to forgive one another, and to actually love each other as God commanded.
First off, what is love? It is a unselfish and benevolent concern for one another, a brotherly concern for others. I Corithians 13 tells us what love is. Love never gives up, cares more for others that for self, doesn't want what it doesn't have, doesn't boast, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first", doesn't fly off the handle in anger, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, and keeps going to the end. Love never dies. (The Message Bible) Without love we are bankrupt, we do not have a relationship with God or others.
Before we begin to love others, we have to first love God. Matthew 22:36-39 say, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself." Love God as you worship Him daily in your Christian walk. Are others seeing God in you?
To love others, we have to put aside whatever we have against them. We have to have a genuine concern for each other's needs. If a brother is down, will you be there to help pick him up or will you allow him to fall into the world because of a stupid little grudge? There is a song that I love to sing because it talks about us being united as brothers and sisters in Christ. "You're my brother, You're my sister, so take me by the hand. Together we will work until He comes. There's no foe that can defeat us when we are walking side by side. As long as there is LOVE we will stand." God loved us so much He sent His son to die for us, because He loved us so much do you not think that it is our duty to love one another just as Christ loved us?
Before we can love each other, we have to forgive each other just as Christ has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." We need to develop a Christ-like love, so that we can forgive others. God continually covers our sins with His grace. I find myself asking all the time, "If God can forgive others, then Why can we not look past their sins?" Is it because we have no love, or because we simply just do not want to look past everyone's sins?
What is your decision? To begin to love one another, or to keep judging other's on their past sins?
