“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)
Did you ever notice that even with just two commandments, we have a hard time keeping either one of them? The Bible teaches us that since God’s love abides in us, His love has been perfected in us. God forgave us and loved us while we were still sinners, and He gave us His example to follow.
After salvation, His love abides within us. We can more readily keep these two commandments. It is possible for us to love God and our neighbor, as well as our self. Even if my carnal nature gets in the way of my obedience to these commands, Agape’s love within me will do the job much better than I could ever imagine. As I put my feelings and prejudices aside, Christ will love even the most indigent of humans through my feeble actions.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, let us pour out Your love to those in our family, neighborhood, workplace, community and church. You loved us without conditions and undeservedly. Help us to allow You to share Your love through us without restraint! Thought for the Day:
God’s love in us is the anchor for a world adrift in the sea of suffering.