Do you Love

Do you Love?
The apostle John said,
"We love because he first loved us.  
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1John 4:19-21.
I heard a true story of a man who’s brother disagreed with him becoming a Christian so passionately that he entered the mans house while he was doing devotionals with his family. The brother trashed the house and beat up the man.
The man should have called the police and had his brother charged.
What impressed me however was the man that was beaten up told the police that he didn’t want to charge his brother. Then asked fellow Christians to pray for his brothers salvation.
The man could have easily let hate fester inside of him and justifiably had his brother arrested for assault.
That man exemplified what the apostle John is saying in the above scripture. He loved his brother so much he wished no harm to him.
A lot can be learned from how we react in circumstances especially bad ones. As believers in Christ we are called to Love in the way God loves, unconditionally.
When it comes to Godly love no greater example can be shown that the fact that Jesus layed down his life for us.
For me the best definition of love was written by the apostle Paul when he wrote,

“Love is patient, love is kind.

 It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                                            1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

This is the kind of love God requires of all who love him. It is the kind of love even those who are not Christian can agree with.
So my question is, if you claim to be a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, do you show this kind of love to those around you.
Please think about it.

Do you Love?

Do you Love?
Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus 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.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus also said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
       But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44.
The apostle Paul defined love as,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                          1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

If you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus do you truly love? Do you love unconditionally?
Can you pray this prayer written by Francis of Assisi and mean it,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                       Francis of Assisi

Please think about it.

Do you Love?

Do you Love?
The apostle Paul writes,

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. 

Honor one another above yourselves.  

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  

Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 

Bless those who persecute you; 

bless and do not curse.  

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud,

 but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, 

live at peace with everyone. 

Romans 12:9-18

Words for Christians to live by.
 So if you claim to be a Christian do you live by them. Is your love for all people sincere or dose it come with conditions? Do you cling to what is good?
Take a few minutes to meditate on each line of the above scripture. There are dozens of questions that come out of it.

Do you honour others above yourself? 

Are you zealous in serving God? 

Are you joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer? 

Do you help people in need? 

Practice hospitality? 

Bless those who persecute you? 

Rejoice with those who rejoice? 

Mourn with those who mourn?

Are you willing to associate with people from all positions in life 

even if that is a person living on the street,

 a drug addict,

 or simply a person of poor estate? 

Are you conceited thinking you know best in all situations? 

Do you repay evil for evil?

Do you do what is right in the eyes of everybody? 

Do you as far as depends on you live at peace with all people?

If you claim to be Christian you need to be asking yourself these questions. You need to be asking yourself do others see Christ’s love reflected in me?
Jesus made things very simple when He said,

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,

 for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” 

Matthew 7:12.

You should never be doing something to anyone that you would not want done to you. If you claim to be Christian you need to truly love. The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said,

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, 

it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, 

always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

This is I believe God’s ideal for love. I also believe although we may fall short of God’s ideal, it is possible to practice the kind of love the Apostle Paul is talking about here.
Showing such unconditional love to all people is I firmly believe, one step toward a holy life and as the writer of Hebrews states,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

Hebrews 12:14.

Please think about it.