BBD 03.25.09 Loving Others
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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03.25.09
Loving Others
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son
Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who
keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him, and by this we know
that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. - 1 John 3:23-24.
It happened in Debary, Florida about ten years ago. Drivers could see her as
they drove by. She seemed to be stuck in the mud. As you would expect there
was so much concern that it tied up traffic for miles. They called the
police wanting something done. Monday commuters were again looking for her
to see if she was still trapped by the mud or was she okay now? There was so
much concern that again traffic was tied up and backed up for miles. The
Florida Transportation Department knew something had to be done. They put up
a electronic flashing sign to communicate to all of those concerned drivers
the following, "The Cow is Okay."
We have to wonder if it had been a human being would there have been the
same amount of concern? Now God is concerned about cattle (Jonah 4:11), but
they are not made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Our concern for
animals and disdain for humans may come from our experience with them. There
is usually a good reason when an animal attacks and few of us have been on
the receiving end. I have been chased by a cow but most people in Florida
have probably not had the experience. However, nearly all of us have been on
the receiving end of verbal or physical attacks from other humans.
I believe there is something in us that wants to show concern, that wants be
kind, that wants to love. It is because we were made in the image of God and
God is love as the apostle John tells us, "He who does not love does not
know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8)." It may be difficult (It was
difficult for Jonah and that's why he ended up in the belly of the great
fish.) but it is God's will and His command for us to be kind to each other
and to love each other. We are even to love our enemies, and we know that
Jonah had trouble loving those wicked Ninevites. Jesus says, "But I say to
you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you
may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45a)." We will never
really be able to experience love until we begin to love each other.
The next time we see someone stuck in the mud let us give them some help
demonstrating that we are truly made in the image of God, and that we are
the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. "My little children, let us
not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18)."
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