The Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was in His nature to love. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying."Love one another as I have loved you"(John 15:12). God created us in His image, after His likeness. His nature is in us and He commands us to love each other. This nature of God has been in us since He created the perfect world which He put man in charge of it. We have buried that nature in us and embrace ME and MY. But during this pandemic, that nature in us has been resurrected and we have seen people caring for others - fellow church members, the elderly, and caring for neighbors, those most effected by the virus such as medical workers or those experiencing financial losses etc.
The purpose of the nature of God is being fulfilled in and around us each and everyday. People are being blessed, and we tell others, "You are not alone, We got this, We are in this together, We will prevail and We will get though it!"It is very powerful to see that MY and ME has now been buried and now it us US. What a joy to know that we have become what we were meant to be.
Our pride has been humbled as a nation. Indeed the entire world has been bumbled. Our comforts, materialism, selfishness, inequities in levels of care and access to basic needs, and political divisions are all being exposed. We are being humbled. As people of faith in God, will we "catch up with God" and become better salt and light of the world?
If we will walk in this new life we've found, caring for our neighbors and the people around us, our wold will be a better place. A place where we all know that we are in it together and that whatever comes we will go through it together.
We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and He loved us enough to give His life for us. We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love: Listening, helping, encouraging and giving. Think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love today. Give all the love you can, and then try to give a little more.
The strength we need to love our neighbor will come from seeking a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because the nature of love comes from Him and He knows the best way to love each other. He will teach us.
When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking or becoming very weak and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep us stay levelheaded, no matter how high or low our circumstances.
Response:
- Who is my neighbor and what does he need from me?
- What does it mean to sacrifice myself for someone?
- What is the nature of God in me like, and how do I know it's in me?
- How do I put the nature of God in me to work?
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