Contemplation #73
We must ‘throw ourselves’ into loving others. Though our love is not action devoid of feeling, this love will often start in a will to act with care and affection while we offer up prayers for God to give us heart-felt concern for others. We cannot make the mistake of waiting to act with love until our hearts have feelings of care. Learning love is a discipline which we must engage forcefully and with purpose even against our natural desires. If we follow only our selfish emotions, we will continue to love as pagans . . . loving only those who love us. There is no hypocrisy in spiritual disciplines in which we seek to become what God wills, acting beyond our present state. If we long for our hearts to catch up to our obedience of faith in love then we are not hypocrites when we act more loving than we truly feel. Only in this way will we love others for the sake of Christ.
Contemplation #74
“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” 1 Thess. 4:9.
The brotherly love that Paul was talking about is this love for our neighbor for the sake of Christ. This was no natural human affection. Since the Thessalonians had to be taught this love by God it was not a natural human affection of the type that is human and essentially self-love. God does not teach us to be self-absorbed and to love others who offer us something we want. The bond of love that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ is unnatural, unless we restrict our fellowship to those brothers and sisters we can love selfishly. Brotherly love among believers is the work of God that enables us to be a fellowship of Jews and Greeks, male and female, slave and free, civilized and barbarian, and yet all loving each other in a way explained only by God’s intervention.
Contemplation #75
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thess. 1:4.
Paul and his companions had seen the love of God poured out on the people of Thessalonica. God’s power was at work among them, and the Holy Spirit created a deep conviction in them. This was evidence of God’s favor on them, and proof of His love. Loving others for the sake of Christ is what happens when our love for God becomes love for all God loves. Paul and his companions loved these people because of God. He continues, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” (1 Thess. 3:12). We see how God loves everyone, and he makes us to share in that love. Who is it that God does not love? Who is it that I may not love?
We must ‘throw ourselves’ into loving others. Though our love is not action devoid of feeling, this love will often start in a will to act with care and affection while we offer up prayers for God to give us heart-felt concern for others. We cannot make the mistake of waiting to act with love until our hearts have feelings of care. Learning love is a discipline which we must engage forcefully and with purpose even against our natural desires. If we follow only our selfish emotions, we will continue to love as pagans . . . loving only those who love us. There is no hypocrisy in spiritual disciplines in which we seek to become what God wills, acting beyond our present state. If we long for our hearts to catch up to our obedience of faith in love then we are not hypocrites when we act more loving than we truly feel. Only in this way will we love others for the sake of Christ.
Contemplation #74
“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” 1 Thess. 4:9.
The brotherly love that Paul was talking about is this love for our neighbor for the sake of Christ. This was no natural human affection. Since the Thessalonians had to be taught this love by God it was not a natural human affection of the type that is human and essentially self-love. God does not teach us to be self-absorbed and to love others who offer us something we want. The bond of love that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ is unnatural, unless we restrict our fellowship to those brothers and sisters we can love selfishly. Brotherly love among believers is the work of God that enables us to be a fellowship of Jews and Greeks, male and female, slave and free, civilized and barbarian, and yet all loving each other in a way explained only by God’s intervention.
Contemplation #75
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thess. 1:4.
Paul and his companions had seen the love of God poured out on the people of Thessalonica. God’s power was at work among them, and the Holy Spirit created a deep conviction in them. This was evidence of God’s favor on them, and proof of His love. Loving others for the sake of Christ is what happens when our love for God becomes love for all God loves. Paul and his companions loved these people because of God. He continues, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” (1 Thess. 3:12). We see how God loves everyone, and he makes us to share in that love. Who is it that God does not love? Who is it that I may not love?
posted by Greg at 8:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home