John13:34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another
Sounds easy doesn’t it? Until someone takes your parking spot, or says something mean on Facebook, or fires a gun into a group of people. It’s easier said than done. Practice and training can help us to love like Jesus.
Jesus’ love was selfless and understanding. It wasn’t about what we could do for him. It was about how he could bless us. Jesus knew the inadequacies/short-comings of his followers and he was able to love them anyway. He has great compassion (an understatement) and expects us to also have compassion and care for others anyway. Leaving the judgment to God frees us to love.
Ann Shorb wrote: “Loving one another includes being willing to respectfully confront one another when necessary, to work to find solutions to disagreements, and to forgive those who hurt you. That means giving up your desire to be angry and to get back at the offender. The secret lies in abiding in Christ.”
Start small, realize when you’re about to swear at that person who took your parking spot, stop yourself. Take a second to talk to God, “oops sorry.” Practice that, then move on to those folks at work who bug you.
Adrienne Bolbot
Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for a full calendar and join us Wednesday (tonight) for our final midweek Lenten worship. Dinner is served at 6:15 and worship (Holden Evening Prayer) is at 7 pm. This week's faith-sharer is Ed Garner.
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