Love One Another

In his commentary on Galatians 6:10, Jerome tells a famous story of "blessed John the evangelist" in extreme old age at Ephesus. He asked to be carried into the congregation in the arms of his disciples and was unable to say anything except,

"Little children, love one another."

At last, wearied that he always spoke the same words, they asked: "Master, why do you always say this?"

"Because," he replied, "it is the Lord's command, and if this only is done, it is enough. Stories about John (Kelly Minter, What Love is)

To Love Is Enough

I want that phrase to really sink in. If we can just get it right about loving everyone, the rest will fall into place. 

Your relationship with your coworkers-How would love change that situation?

What if you truly sacrificially loved your husband? How would your marriage change?

In your neighborhood? 

The family-less foster child? 

That person who looks, smells and believes differently than you? 

Do you unconditionally love them?

Before we go on, I must state something important. Love is not tolerance for sin, but it is tolerance for the people. It is not saying that you are ok with a sinful lifestyle, but it is saying that you are ok with that person. It is not saying that you push aside truth; it does mean that you embrace the person and the person that God created him/her to be. 

This also doesn't mean that you allow sin-happy people to become your best friends or let them influence you. What it does mean is that you reach into their lives, praying for them, befriending them, encouraging them and doing acts of kindness. 

We see so many illustrations of Jesus, the friend of sinners, who often stopped what He was doing to reach out to the unlovely like, as in Luke 18:35-43.  He sat with sinners in Mark 2 and simply gave truth while everyone else judged (John 8:1-11). And, of course, we can't miss His sacrificially death and resurrection for all sinners. 

So as a Christ-follower, how are you sacrificially, unconditionally loving? 

Because my dear friend, to love is enough. - Rejoicing in the Present