Love One Another

God brings certain people into our lives just to show us how incapable we are of loving others in our own strength. He does not do it to make us feel bad. He does it to give us an opportunity to experience His transforming love in our lives and in the lives of the people He has called us to love. Do you thank Him for the people in your life who are difficult to love? Do you have a cranky neighbour? A difficult boss? Praise God for them because He loves you and wants to make your joy full by making it possible for you to love them. He loves them too, and wants to use you as a channel for His love to them.

I think perhaps the most wonderful and most challenging opportunity to love comes in our own homes, right where we live. Faith and patience are essential characteristics of a Christian life and witness, yet there is another quality we must have or else we have missed the point of the good news, “Let love be your greatest aim” Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1 Cor 13:13, 14:1).

Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples, said Jesus (John 13:25), “This is my commandment that you love one another just as I have loved you that your joy may be full”. Love, love, love. As Christians we talk a great deal about it. God is love, Jesus loves you, I love you. But we fall woefully short of really loving one another. Jesus said, “I demand that you love one another as I love you” (John 15:12).

Love means more to us than anything else in the world. We were created to love God and to love one another. When we don’t love, fearful things happen in us. We become hurt, resentful, afraid of each other, hateful and guilt-ridden. The wounds of our emotions, our fears and frustrations, our defence mechanisms, our destructive ways – all have come about for lack of love.

A love that accepts, approves of, believes in others, is patient, kind, never selfish or envious, doesn’t hold grudges, and doesn’t seek revenge when it has to suffer wrong – this is what we should become. God alone can remake us, remould us from within, Our part is to follow Paul’s advice to the Romans: to submit ourselves fully, to believe that He has taken over, and then accept eagerly and joyfully with thanksgiving and praise, all the circumstances God uses to bring about His transformation of our lives.

Bro David with his son Charles on the left

Bro David Yelulani (Banket, Zimbabwe)