Love One Another

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2sahcp

A story is told of four prominent ministers who met on a regular basis for breakfast. Three of the ministers were already seated and had been discussing a recent bulletin article by someone in a distant city. That article included several inaccurate and unflattering remarks about the fourth minister. As that minister approached to complete the foursome at the table, the other three wondered if he had yet read the article.

When presented with the article he indicated that he had read the contents. Then without any additional comment he called for the others to join him as he gave the blessing for their meal.

In that prayer this man prayed not only for the food, but also prayed for the younger preacher who had written that inaccurate and damaging article. He prayed for his wife and children by name since he had known this family for some time. He prayed for wisdom, patience and balanced judgment to come upon this man in his future years as a minister of the gospel.

When that prayer was finished nothing else was said about that article. It was evident that the target of that malicious attack was more interested in the welfare of the writer than the writer was about the welfare of the target.

Why is it so difficult for some people to love others? Even in the Bible some people were not able to get along with others or to complete a task for God without some dispute.

Could it be that an absence of love is to blame for some of these failings? I believe that it very well could be.

Notice what John says about our love for one another in 1 John 4:7-11.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Real love is seen in God’s actions toward mankind. As Christians we learn of this love and are drawn to God because of it. Unfortunately, Christians don’t always remember to love one another as they should.

Notice how John concludes this chapter in verses 20 and 21.

If someone says, “I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

In that first reading we find John saying that because God loved us we also ought to love one another. Then we find him saying that it is also a commandment that if we love God we must also love our brothers.

Friends, can you imagine a world where no one has any love toward you? Can you contemplate what it would be like to go through your day without any compassion, love or concern shown toward you? That would be a very discouraging world in which to live.

Fortunately for us, God loves us and demonstrates that love by having sent His Son to die in our place. We need not live in a world without love because God is love and God has filled this world with love. That love, my friends, in part comes from you and me as we love one another.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we seek out every opportunity to show love toward our fellow man, especially if that love is not deserved. May we learn to return love and kindness for hatred and evil. May we learn to love others without expecting love in return. In so doing, I believe that we will find more and more love.

Our thought for the day: “God measures how much we love Him by how much we love one another.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.