Mark of A True Christian
September 16, 2013 1 Comment
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” John 13:34, 35 NKJV
“Love-have a great affection or liking for”
“Hate-dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards”.
The hardest thing that we ever have to do – love one another. It’s not climbing the highest mountain, it’s not reaching to the moon, it’s not discovering the cure for a disease, it’s not inventing the newest technology that can transform the society, it’s not leading men and women to become greater individuals, it’s not keeping a nation to become financially stable, it’s not mentoring a child to mold him/her as a successful citizen for the future.
A week ago, I watched the full CNN video showing the evidence of how the Syrian forces used chemical weapons to civilians. I almost cried as I watched the lifeless bodies being laid out side by side with each other. Some are children which had nothing to do with the conflict. This was a copy of the video being shown to the Senate and Congress to assess the decision of an air strike or some form of military action to the Syrian government. My initial reaction after watching the video was “let’s execute the air strike”. I’m not sure what your point of view is to military actions but a normal person, 90% of the time will want the conflict to be resolved as quickly as possible. The content of the video produces an automatic hatred to the Syrian government immediately. I don’t know much about politics and I don’t really care about what other countries are doing. All I know is that this world is God’s dwelling place specifically created for us to be developed and not destroyed so that human beings can experience life to the full. Any actions to stop the fulfillment of that premise is not considered good.
There is no easy answer for conflicts. Bring the subject to your own personal circle. Look around you and examine your relationship with other people. Do you love them? Do you really care for them? Are you jealous? Are you full of envy? Do you hate that person next to your cubicle? Or what about the smile of a friend who is enjoying his or her vacation in the beach? Or what about thinking that your spouse is abusing or abnormally just using you as a crutch in life to get by with his/her own selfish agenda in life.
The hardest thing to do in life is to love the person next to us (this includes everyone). The sad part about that command is — that is how we are identified as a true follower of Christ. There is “no ifs and buts” – that is bottom line Christianity.
Yup, I have to love you… all of you.
See it at YouVersion.com
If we only love one another, peace will reign throughout the land.
As Christ’s love for man was universal, so must ours be. The Christian has structured within his life of grace this deep desire – sometimes very latent – to give himself to his fellowman in various forms of love. If this desire is not thwarted, it can truly help change the face of the earth !
And it should be started by me, loving the person God put beside me. ???