LOVE. That word has been
spinning around in my head and heart all month.
And not because it is the “love month” – but because God is doing a real
work in my life as He is helping me grasp more than ever before what that word
really, truly means. Isn’t it true that
we usually learn better by “doing”? We
experience something more fully when we do it “hands on” – rather than just
seeing or watching or listening. Combine
all of those facets, and it is still the “having to live it out” that makes it
real for us. Last weekend a scripture
verse popped up in front of my eyes, and I was captured by its very
essence. How many times have I read that
verse before? I don’t know; many, many
times – that’s for sure! But it never
spoke to me like it did this time. Since
then, I have also read the verse preceding it, and together, they create a
powerful command by our Lord. Not just a
suggestion or a choice; these are Jesus’ words and they demand an obedient
response from us. Listen: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one
another. By this all men will know that
you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
(John 13:34-35) First, I hear Him
telling me to do something: to love one
another. Then I hear Him explain that He
has already done this – by example … and that as I have been loved by HIM,
that’s how I MUST love others! Wow,
that’s a tall order, Lord! And recently
it seems as if You are throwing some tough lessons in front of me. You know me, God. I am usually always a lover of people – not a
fighter. But I think You are putting ME
to the test. You want to know how I will
respond in these bizarre situations. Will
I be able to love … like You love me? As
I read it, You don’t give me a choice, do You, Lord? Because if I fail this test and don’t love
like You’ve commanded me to, then the last part of that scripture comes into
play. If I do not love like You do, then
people will not know that I am Your disciple.
I will be missing the benchmark – the distinguishing characteristic that
should set me apart as one of Your followers.
And what is that? Simply put, it
is loving others. One another. Each other.
Family. Brothers and sisters in
Christ. I am beginning to catch a
glimpse of how easily we could change our world – if we would just love one
another. Like Christ loves us! Would that be difficult? Is it hard?
Yes, of course, it is. None of us
are perfect. We are all different, and
we all like different things. God
Himself created us to be unique individuals.
Yet He created us in His likeness.
So while it may not be easy to do what He commands, He did put that
capability within us. He would not have
commanded us to love others like He loves us, if it were not possible. So, I think we have some work to do. I know I do!
Ninety-nine percent of the time, I find it so easy to love others. It’s that one percent remaining that just about
gets me every time. Thank God that He
intervenes and pulls me up short and lovingly, but ever so firmly reminds me
that I MUST get it right! And, of
course, I cannot do it alone. But God
can do it. In me. And through me. If I will let Him! This most recent struggle with getting my
heart in the right place was not nearly as much about not loving – as about not
understanding another’s heart. And that
can leave you in a vulnerable spot. It
can open the door for the enemy to walk in and bring on his best attempts to
thwart and defeat. And always, it is so
much bigger than just me – or you! At
these points in time, we are wrestling not against flesh and blood – but
against the very principalities of darkness.
(See Ephesians 6:12) The
Amplified Version explains that we are not “contending only with physical
opponents”, but with “the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly
sphere.” It’s about much more than only having
a struggle with loving others; it is more often doing battle with the powers of
the enemy in the spiritual realm.
Because he knows if he can keep us from loving others, his victory is
half won! What does God instruct us to
do? He tells us to put on His complete armor
… that we may be able to resist the devil’s schemes and to stand our ground –
firmly in our place. I believe that we
will be able to stand strong … only if we are able to love each other as God
commands us to! That’s why I listened to
the whisper of the Holy Spirit that night when the attack came in like a
flood. I called in the prayer warriors
from all over the country – texting as many people as God brought to mind,
asking simply but urgently: “Can’t talk
right now; but please pray!” Did I have
to explain anything? No. God knew, and that’s all that mattered. Within moments, responses came rolling in
affirmatively: “Yes, praying!” “Yes, I am!”
“We sure will!” “Praying for
you!” A sense of God’s peace and victory
covered me at once, and I was the first to tell the devil in no uncertain
terms, “We’ve won … you’ve lost!” We
will love, no matter what! We will cut
the enemy no slack. God’s plan to use
His people is too precious to waste on buying into not loving others! We are loved by God … and we will love others
as He loves us, by His grace and His power!
Thank you, dear ones, for coming alongside us and standing in the gap –
praying! You are loved – by God … and by
us!
REMEMBER . .
.
“My God is changeless in His love for me,
and He will come and help me.”
~ Psalm 59:10
Pastor Doug and Debbie
