When did it become necessary for us to agree with each other in order for us to love each other?
Is there any reason why we can’t be patient, kind, humble, caring, generous, thoughtful, compassionate and considerate with those who don’t have our same belief systems without the anger, frustration and hatefulness that we constantly see these days?
Jesus told us to love our neighbors. And not just the ones we like or who are like us.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
The differences in each of us are too many to count, so agreeing on everything is just not possible. So, why do we continue to argue?
Shouldn’t we be spending more time helping those in need, those who are lonely, and those who are unlovable?
This is not an easy task, but it is what Jesus would like us to do.
To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 1Corinthians 6:7
WOW…the verse above is not what we, self-serving, self-indulgent and entitled people think should happen in our lives.
In fact, most of us would like that dog to finally get his day and be standing on the sidelines watching as he does.
Yikes, but true.
Throughout life we have and will continue to encounter people who require our agreement or else they just don’t want anything to do with us. Of course, hanging out with someone who is constantly baiting us with their difference of opinions is probably not what we really want to do anyway.
However, we still are asked to be kind, loving and free from harsh words.
Man, oh man…does slamming the door count? Sigh.
Instead of focusing on our difference of opinions or the sins of others (clearly, I have too many of my own sins to be worried about those around me), maybe we should spend more time doing the work of Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.
Spewing hatred and ugliness is not of God. We can all be the smartest people in the room with the knowledge of the right way to go, but if we don’t love our neighbor, then we’ve missed the point.
Look at the Pharisees. They were some of the most intelligent men of the time and Jesus really shook them up by pointing out their lack of love and action.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others…. Matthew 23:1-39
We may not all agree with each other or even get along, but we can be loving because that’s living like Jesus and He showed us how.
Some Wisdom for Today: Proverbs 15:17 – Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Comments