Love One Another?

Recently, driving from Columbia to Harrisburg, PA, I listened to Francis Chan’s book, “Crazy Love – Overwhelmed by a relentless God.” Our class MOVERS group is reading this together. I am not a book reviewer, but this one drives home several reminders for those of us who are believers:

•  That God is God, and we are not Him. Chan reminds readers of the Throne of God that John writes about in Revelation. Too often we try to humanize God to better understand Him, and then we end up trivializing God in the process.
• That many of us are less in love with God and more in love with the idea of His blessing our lives.
•  That when we draw near to God, God draws near to us.
•  God is not a duplicator; God is a creator. You and I are individually and wonderfully made.
•  If we recognize that everything belongs to God, we will eagerly sell our possessions and give to those in need.
• And, then, that we begin to see every person – regardless of prejudice or opinions or politics – as if that person is Jesus to be loved and served.

It was an intense book, and more than once I had to pull over at a rest area and just take a break from it. It was that last point that really got my attention. What would life look like – what would my life look like – if I saw every person as Jesus? As a believer, it would be impossible to ignore them. It would be impossible to pass on serving them. It would be impossible to stand on the sidelines and watch people suffer if I saw them as Jesus.

I was convicted by Chan’s last thought because I am an inconsistent follower of Jesus.
All of us are inconsistent followers of Jesus.

I am reminded of the person who woefully or arrogantly says (or thinks!), “I do this for people” and “I do that for people” and “I’m the only one doing anything” and “I do anything I’m ever asked to do for people.” This person is guilty of sinful pride. Sin always throws up a mirror and causes us to see ourselves, how we’ve been offended, how we’ve done more while others did less, and how life isn’t fair.
Serving others and then drawing unhealthy attention to it, well, that’s an inconsistent approach to following Jesus. I stand guilty; so do you. We must do better.

In New Mexico a few weeks ago, my Vicki and I heard Andy Root, professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, speak on taking the gospel to new generations of Americans. You and I can’t afford to become old people and slink off into the spiritual sunset. We’ve got to stay fresh in our approach to culture, and be ready to help people discover the Lord by whatever means possible.

But, Andy got my attention when he closed with this: If you had five minutes to live, what would you tell a dying and lost word? What would you tell other believers? If you were a preacher, what would your last sermon be about?

And, for me, fresh off Chan’s mind-blowing book, I just thought, “Love One Another” from John 13:34-35, “So, now I am giving you (believers) a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my follower.”

•  John is really speaking to believers loving other believers, strengthening the fellowship and being an example to the world. But, that certainly doesn’t let us off the hook to love and serve everyone around us. We should love anyone and everyone toward a goal of introducing people to Jesus as their Savior, and helping them grow as disciples.
• We should love one another in the same ways that Jesus loves us: Service beyond convenience, sacrificially and unconditionally, and without prejudice.
•  If we each focused on loving one another as a priority today, people – especially unsaved people – would notice a supernatural power at work and begin to ask about it.

I won’t be so forward as to say you should exercise your love for one another in specific ways. I won’t be so condescending as to say you should feel guilty if you don’t love people this way or that way. I won’t be so self-righteous as to say you are failing if you don’t love people through the same ministries God has called me to serve. Somewhere in all of that would be sin – me trying to set the guidelines for you. Lean on Scripture and the Lord’s whisper in all that you do. He will guide you exactly where He needs you to be in loving and serving others.

The lesson here is to love one another, personally and privately in everyday life. I do believe that God calls each of us to be the “hands and feet” of the church, and I believe He desires for each of us to be involved in ministry to others through the church. That may manifest itself through children’s ministry, student ministry, missions ministry (local, state, national or international), prison ministry, ministry to those who are in poverty, hospitality ministry, usher ministry, prayer ministry, music and worship ministry, small group ministry, Sunday School ministry, and the list goes on and on and on. You don’t have to be involved in each of these – seek the Lord’s place for you within the church (and within our class), and listen to His calling on where and how you should serve. (1 Corinthians reminds us that all the parts of the body are needed and that each has its own function and contribution). Then, passionately get involved around your spiritual giftedness and personal calling.

If you are a leader in ministry or desire to lead out in ministry, I’d love to hear how the class might support you as you might lead us. Class ministry involvement most often does not begin or end with me – it begins with you. In fact, I can tell you that I may not be involved in every class ministry, but I will support all of them.

As you and I do better at “love one another,” we will fulfill Matthew 25:35-36 when Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” This is not an exhaustive list, but a starting place of ways you and I can show mercy to people each day.

Today, as you walk through your day, quietly love those around you as if they are Jesus. And, begin praying for how God can use you through one of our class and / or church ministries to bring Jesus to others.