Jesus replied, “The most important one is this: ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these two.”
Mark 12:29-31 GNT
Overlaying the ten command are two commandments of love: 1) to love God with every fiber of our being and 2) to love our neighbors.
We can all agree on how to love God, by prayer, worship and living our lives to bring glory to His name. Yet loving our neighbors is where things get complicated. Jesus always taught with an emphasis on love.
Loving our neighbors, not judging them Loving our neighbors, not condemning them Loving our neighbors, not changing them Loving our neighbors, not damning them
The gift of love is given to us from God, to the degree that we give grace and love to others. Should we give sparingly, we can only expect to receive sparingly.
God loves people who are pro-choice God loves people who are LGBTQ+ God loves people who are illegal noncitizens God loves people who criminals
In a time where there is enough hate and turmoil, it is disheartening to see people use Christianity as a means of division rather than unity. When God sees us, He doesn’t see Democrat or Republican, red or blue. He also doesn’t categorize sin by levels of offense. The murderer breaks God’s Heart as much as the church gossiper. We’re all sinners and have no room to judge others. We should support each other as we all work to look more like God and shed our sinful ways, which look different for everyone but are equal in God’s Eyes.
I am saddened that many people seem to have lost their sense of hierarchical identities. They’ve forgotten that we are Christians first, Spirits inhabiting flesh bodies that were created to sing songs of praise to God. We are then humans second, ambassadors of God, here on Earth to spread love.
I’m not condoning sin. Sin is still sin and the Bible stands supreme, regardless of what laws are created or overturned. Remember Daniel continued praying to God, defying King Darius’ degree that everyone bow down to him. And when punished by being putting in the lion’s den, God saved Daniel, leading King Darius begin to worship God out of awe (Daniel 6).
I’m also not pledging support for any political party because God commands us to pray for our the office (1 Timothy 2:1-4), regardless of whether we like the person, or agree with their political party. Remember the king’s heart is in God’s Hands and He can work through anyone. It’s not the flesh that concerns us but the Spirit which knows more than we do and goes more places than we can.
God is love & Love is unity.
Weekend Wellness Tip
Until Midweek Musings,
