Golden Rule

Matthew 7:12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Golden Rule is something we are taught from a young age.  Do onto others as you would have others do onto you.  It’s simple in concept, yet so complicated to live by at times.  Earlier in Matthew 7, it talks about not judging or you too will be judged in the same way.  We are all guilty of this at one point or another. 

The thing we need to remember here is that we are not told to never tell someone they are wrong about something, rather it is how we go about this judgment.  We need to act in love.  If you receive feedback on something you’ve done wrong, you’re more likely to be accepting of that feedback and work to do things differently if that feedback is given with love.  Therefore, you should treat others the same way.

Are you treating others with the love that you want to be treated with?

Thursday Devotional - Love and Laws

Romans 3:19-24            “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”    Romans 3:19-24

God’s laws in the Bible point out our sin in light of His righteousness. If we have faith in Jesus Christ and have accepted God’s free gift of salvation, we will desire to show our love to Him through obeying His laws. 

I frequently tell James and Sarah that they show love for God and for me, when they listen and obey the first time. James is quick to verbally say he loves us and he gives hugs generously which shows he loves us. He’s working on the immediate obedience part! J If we’re honest, we all struggle with immediate obedience.

Knowing God’s laws are necessary so we can obey immediately and identify and avoid sin.

How well do you and I know God’s laws?

If we were to ask God, what would He say about our knowledge of His laws? 

What sins in your life and my life have recently come to light and how are you and I obediently addressing those sins?  

Alice

Godly Love

A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.  So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.  Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!  The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.  But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!"

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.  Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  Acts 16:22-30 

The most difficult thing to do is to love someone when you have no love in your heart for them.  It is not often that I encounter such a feeling, but indeed it does happen particularly when I have been wronged by them.  The mere thought of feeling any kind of warmth, sympathy, or compassion for that person has me in knots inside.  Furthermore, it usually impacts my feelings with those in the middle of them and me.  When this feeling occurs, I hearken back to when a person in the middle became my saving grace.  It was him who brought into my sight God’s vision; one of His Kingdom, love, and grace.  Those things led to my finding love for my rival because God’s love filled my heart such that I could not do anything else.

To be filled with Godly love is transformative.  I say this not because it sounds easy.  In today’s verses, Paul and Silas are beaten and jailed, but are given the opportunity to escape.  Why did they not run?  The answer was quite simply love for their fellow man.  You see, the guard, who awoke to find the prison doors open, knew the government would find him responsible for the prisoner’s escape, which is why he would attempt to commit suicide.  Obviously, so did Paul.  Thus, Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners stayed giving up their own freedom to save another. 

As we recently celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I was pushed to read his letter from a Birmingham jail cell.  Here is a man who is jailed for civil protest, and he too is being called a troublemaker by … other pastors?  Kinda hard to have love for your fellow man in that situation.  Yet, here he is not only addressing them, but doing so with both conviction for his cause and civility toward their dissenting opinion.  How could one could pull off such a feat.  The answer is simply love.  Here is the closing to his letter:

If I have said anything in this letter that is an overstatement of the truth and is indicative of an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me.  If I have said anything in this letter that is an understatement of the truth and is indicative of my having a patience that make me patient with anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.  

You can have love for your people and cause, and yet still love those who would oppress you.  Love for your jailer?  That’s Godly love.

We all have an opportunity to embrace the love God has shown us.  While one might consider being cold and hard toward someone who has wronged you, loving them is a much harder one to master.  However if you are willing to see the bigger picture of God’s Kingdom instead of your current circumstances, you will find that He has plans for you.  Let’s all have greater vision beyond our circumstances and focus on His love for us that is enduring and stronger than even our worse circumstances.  What challenge do you have today that needs a more loving perspective?  How can you replace your disdain with God’s love?  My prayer is that we focus on that which never fails; Godly love.  Amen.