If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth
They’re gonna find out soon
If they’re following me, then they’re gonna follow you
So let my life speak loud and clear
Lord, I wanna hear
“Well done.”
Well Done – Mariah Peters
I want to live a life that pleases God. I’m pretty sure if you’re reading this blog, you do, too. It’s not always an easy thing to do. We all want to stand before the Father at the end of our lives on earth and hear,
“Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in your Master’s happiness” (Matt. 25:21).We know going to church, giving tithes and offerings, helping others, and all that good church-going stuff; but Paul gives some pretty clear instructions to the church in Thessalonica as to how to live a life that pleases God. This week, we’ll take a look at some of them.
Respect Others
“…and that in this matter, no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.” I Thessalonians 4:6 (NIV) “Now, about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” I Thessalonians 4:9 (NIV)“Love your neighbor as yourself.” This command to love others is mentioned not only in Thessalonians, but also in Leviticus (19:18), Matthew (22: 37-39), Mark (12:30-31), Luke (10:27), Romans (13:9), Galatians (5:14) and James (2:8). Jesus called it the second greatest commandment, coming only after loving God. So this command is either very important to God, or He just knew we needed a lot of reminders. Perhaps both.
Loving others can be one of the greatest joys of a Christian life. The fellowship you develop with Christian friends is deeper than any other friendship you’ll ever have. You know you are linked not only in this world but in the next—true brothers and sisters in Christ.
But the Bible doesn’t just say to love other Christians. It says “love your neighbor” which, sadly, isn’t always easy. Not all our neighbors are Christians. They certainly aren’t all loveable. Some are downright UNloveable. They block your driveway. They leave their trash out, the raccoons get into it, and it ends up all over the street. They let their dog “go” in your yard. They play music too loud or don’t cut their grass. Doesn’t matter. We’re to love them anyway.
“Neighbor” doesn’t just mean those who live around you, either. The original Greek word is plesion, which means, basically, any person near us. That includes the guy who cut you off in traffic, the woman who was rude to you in the grocery store, and the surly teenager who took your order in the drive-through.
We are to love them all. The Greek word used for love here is agape. Agape love is a committed love. It is the first Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians. It is God’s love manifested. God isn’t asking you to like them. He’s telling you to love them.
So here’s a challenge for you. The next time a driver cuts you off in traffic, think about the rush he’s in. Maybe someone he loves is in the hospital, and he’s trying to get there. Pray for his safety and the safety of others around him. If that grumpy barista doesn’t get the lid on tight and your coffee sloshes onto your shoes, consider that she might have had a rough night with a sick, fussy baby, and pray for her. When is the last time you actually looked the cashier in a grocery store in the eye and told her to have a blessed day, and meant it?
Loving others doesn’t always mean you’re going out of your way to do things for them. It can be as simple as a sincere smile, an understanding attitude, and a strong handle on our absolutely human reactions to inconvenient and annoying circumstances. (Yes, that includes the guy who let his dog “go” in your yard.)
God wants us to love all those around us. Can you imagine what this world would be like if God’s love were manifested more often, by more people? Give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.
In His Love,
Amy