I am so thankful for Steve Noble and his wonderful ministry - Called 2 Action. We have all been blessed to share in his Love One Another series these past weeks. Thank you, Nobes, YOU ROCK!" (Remember, you can check Steve out at c2athisweek.org.
Let's take a final look at the core issue of Steve's series - what does our heavenly Father tell us about how families should Love One Another.
How does your family define love? How does your family show love to one another? Would your love for each other be visible to a casual observer? Is loving one another something your family talks about or do you just let it take a "natural" course? All good and important questions. Take a moment to think carefully about each one. Ask your family what they think.
Now, let's take another look at what God's word has to say: 1 John 14:8 tells us that God IS love, "Whoever does not love God does not know God, because God is love." That if we do not love God, we do not know God because God is love. Then, if we do know God, we know his two most important laws as told us in Matthew 22:36-39: Love God and Love one another. God is VERY intentional on making sure we know that He IS love and He loves US and it is our duty to love God and people.
It's pretty simple - our Christian faith is all about love. When we know God, we know love because God is love.
So, is your family intentional on loving one another? Is it part of your families mission and one of your core values? Because love is a big part of our Father's mission and it is His ONE core value.
OK - so how do we do it? Remember the Native American legend of the battle that rages between the two wolves inside all people? One wolf is full of love and the other is full of hate - which one wins the battle? The one that we feed. The one we emphasize. The one we are intentional about. We need to make loving God and loving one another our two most important and intentional family values.
As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:2, "....if I don't have love, I am nothing." We need to "feed the wolf of love".
And let's look at the same chapter one more time for God's definition of EXACTLY what love is:
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.
Now, take a serious look at how you show your love to your spouse and children:
Are you patient? (for patience is a sign of love)
Is your love kind? (for kindness is a sign of love)
Do you brag about what a great person you are?
Are you full of pride at what a great parent/spouse you are?
Are you rude? (thoughtless, inconsiderate, mean spirited, dismissive, judgemental - you know, RUDE)
Do you put the needs of your family before your own needs?
Do you get angry easily? Use harsh words?
Do you hold grudges? Do you stir up old events? Do you refer back to past issues?
Where are your thoughts in your private moments - evil or truth? Where do you find your joy?
Do you always protect all aspects of your family? Do you always trust? Do you always hope? Does your resolve lessen depending the the fickle winds of life, stress, behavior and outside influences? Do you ever give up and give in to the "dark wolf"?
Love never fails, never. God has promised He will never leave us or forsake us. That He will be with us always until the very end of the age. He has proven His love by giving His own son to die a horrific death that our sins may be forgiven and we may have eternal life. His love for each one of us never fails - for we are His children.
Is that how we are with our children? Always? Loving one another needs to be intentional. We need to lay it out for our families and for the whole world to see - we love one another and we define that love according to God's word - not in the cheap, superficial, feel good way that the world defines love.
As parents and spouses, we need to continually ask ourselves, "Which wolf am I feeding? For if I am feeding the wolf of love, I know God for God is love but if I am feeding the wrong wolf - I am nothing."
Let the world see that you love your spouse. Let the world see that your love your children. Let your spouse and children see that you love them. For God shows us 24/7/365/lifetime that He loves each one of us just the way we are - warts an all. And nothing brings more glory to our heavenly Father than when we love one another.
Thank you, Father, for loving us. Help us to show that same love to our families through all seasons. Amen.
Scott Mennie
Love One Another (Day 50) > > > The Proof
1 John 4:19-21
We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
This verse makes it pretty simple as we wrap up our 50-verse journey: the proof of our Christianity is found in how we love one another. If we love God, how can we NOT love one another? When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He gave them back two: Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mth 22:37-39).
If you slip up once in a while and are unloving towards your parent, sibling, or child, that doesn’t mean you aren’t a Christian. However, if you do it over and over again and don’t recognize it as sin and don’t feel bad about it, your salvation may not be real. As this verse says, “…if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” It’s impossible to truly love God but not show love towards each other…it’s like trying to get apple juice out of a lemon.
So here at the end of our journey, it might be a good time to affirm your salvation, or perhaps, acquire it for the first time. Becoming a Christian isn’t about a prayer – it’s about being changed by the incredible power of God’s love when you place your faith in Him as your Savior. Christians should love one another well and regularly, simply because God has loved us so much more!
APPLICATION: Talk about the things you can do that prove you are a Christian. Not merely the “what” you can do, but the “why” you would do it. When are we acting like Christ…and when are we not? Finally, go around the room and see if each of you can clearly explain what it takes to go to Heaven in your own words. Parents – make sure it isn’t about “being a good person,” but about accepting God’s free gift of salvation, made possible through the forgiveness of sins by: confession, repentance, and turning to Jesus in faith.
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