As we know our Lord has declared from His time here and His instructions before leaving that as Christians we love one another. He started off by saying it was a new commandment. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" John 13:34-35. To think about my spouse (his) love for me is one thing. That is a one to one relationship. I don't expect for my husband to love other's the way he loves me. In essence, his love toward others has boundaries.
However, the Lord meant it quite the opposite. No boundaries! Is that what he meant? I can't say that this is the degree where the love factor is extended among strangers. We have been grafted into the vine, adopted and accepted by Him who shed His blood to pay the ultimate price for our sins, and to create a new family. Through a series of circumstances I unfortunately ended up in foster care. At least 4 homes to my knowledge.. From my experiences the children came and went. There were other people in the household but we weren't close to them. We stayed in our rooms most of the time and obeyed the new rules that these families had established.
We never knew when we'd be uprooted. The families may have gotten tired of us or benefits may have run out. Jesus' family is the opposite. We have been accepted by Him into a heavenly family. It is not without it's challenges. We have to get to know one another, be forgiving, suffer long with our brethren. Easier said than done right? Yes. But this is the Litmus test "love".It's a work. It is a willingness to suffer long as we grow in holiness unto the Lord. We were meant to be like the Sequoia tree, whose roots are entangled one with another.
Unfortunately, tradition and religion has created a plethora of reasons why we neglect to love one another by scripture. We have been taught only to love when things are going well We are easily offended and many walk away with unresolved issues, even though the Lord has given us the prescription for ought and offenses. Nonetheless, we walk away, put each other away as if we never knew each other. I am concerned, how about you? We (the church) isn't defined by any other measures (i.e gifts, talents, miracles, signs and wonders) other than love, that's the Litmus Test.
The bible says "in the last days, the love of many will wax cold".Matt 24:12. Let that not be said of us. Let's continue to run this race together, encouraging each other as we continue in fellowship. In Jesus name.
