LOVING OTHERS           

Have you ever had bad neighbors or friends? What’s the worst thing that was done to you?  When I asked my guys in the studio, they all shouted, ‘Ha! Plenty o! Of course, I asked for gist. Victor recounted how his best friend took his ATM card and withdrew all the money in his account; Charles told us how his roommate he lent his laptop switched his 750Gig hard disk for 60Gig, Sam recounted backstabbing moments, I remembered stories of people poisoned, lied against and even killed. What’s your story?

Can we still show love to people despite these experiences? YES! Jesus did it, and so can we. Today’s lesson examines the second part of the great Commandment and how it affects our relationships with people around us. It is impossible to please God without loving others.

Besides loving God, loving one’s neighbor is the most important part of a person’s lifestyle. The two go hand -in- hand and cannot be separated loving God and loving others. Jesus made it clear that we cannot love God and not love our neighbors.

Jesus gave us two supreme commands: Love God and love your neighbor. These two commandments are tied together and cannot be separated. This is emphasized repeatedly throughout the New Testament. Yet, it remains challenge for every believer.

This may be a good opportunity for us to evaluate our lives in this matter of loving others sincerely and living harmoniously (despite their excesses). The Holy Spirit is given to every believer to produce love that honors and prefers others. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to work in us in relationships where we are especially having difficulty.

 

Let us determine not to look down on or judge fellow believers who practice their faith differently. Determine to trust God to take care of them and help all believers mature in their faith.

So help us God.