Thursday, August 21, 2014
Will Rogers, the well known and beloved cowboy, performer, humorist, and movie actor of the past, was credited as being the author of this equally famous quote: “I never met a man I didn’t like.” How many of us can honestly make that statement today? Many people, when reminded of that celebrated quotation will sarcastically say, “Maybe so, but he never met so and so.” Of course, their “so and so” could be someone in their family or some notable figure who is hated nationally or around the world. When Jesus was asked which was the greatest of the Commandments, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Clearly, the greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Not only that, Jesus added in Matthew 22:40 “that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”, implying that whoever fulfills these two commandments, its as if he fulfilled all of them. That’s how important and crucial it is to love God and everyone else.
It is understandable that most people will say that loving everybody is virtually impossible, but it isn’t. In fact, I bet some of you who are reading this blog today may be hard pressed to think of someone you don’t like. Some of you remember the day when Jesus and his love entered into your heart and how your way of thinking changed dramatically. You soon found out that people who you just could not stand in the past, now you saw in a totally different light. It went even further; all of a sudden you wanted to do something nice for those you had hated before. That’s just how the love of God works in our hearts.
I also know that things can happen which may cause us to be out of touch with God and that, all of a sudden, we notice that there may be one or more persons that really rub us the wrong way. In time, we notice that we not treating them as nicely as we treat others. Then we try to appease our conscience, telling ourselves that what we are doing is merited. It isn’t. If, and when that happens, it is imperative that we bring it to God immediately before it turns into something uglier. It is very disheartening and shameful to hear Christians say they can’t stand so and so. Sadly, all of us have done it at one time or another. Thankfully, God always forgives and enables us to rebound. Do you love God and everyone else today? I’m sure you do, but if you don’t, I pray you’ll make a comeback today. You may even want to do something nice for a certain somebody.
Memory verse for the week: (Isaiah 55:6) “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.”
PS: Don’t forget this Friday night’s movie at the church, “God’s Not Dead.” Admission is free and concessions will be available before, during, and after the movie.
