Jesus said:
“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you… The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.” (Jesus, from John 14:15, 21).
Critical areas in which Jesus said we should obey:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Obvious truth: We should love God and love others. No discussion needed.
Which comes first, love or obedience?
Do we obey the things of God, discover their benefits, and increasingly love God because of the blessings that come with obedience? Or do we love God, which motivates our obedience, which leads to greater love brought about by blessings, and therefore leads to greater obedience?
The answer is “yes.”
The better question is where are you in this ongoing process?
If you find yourself wondering what the minimum requirement is for your faith with God to “count,” you’re probably stuck.
If you love God with lots of heartfelt passion, yet don’t care about growing into new attitudes and behaviors, you’re probably stuck, too.
What we often fail to realize is that the greatest way to move forward in our experience of God and the most strategic way we can improve our world is by “unstucking” ourselves by focusing on these two foundational principles. By intentionally spending time developing our relationship with God, and by purposefully and strategically reaching out to others with love, everything is enriched. Our life experience. Our faith experience. Our sense of meaning in life. Everything.
Could it be that the most selfish thing we could ever do for ourselves is to be completely selfless?
If the only thing that will motivate you to love others is your fear of seeing gang violence rise, then love others, because helping people find Jesus is the greatest “course corrector” you can invest in.
If global warming, the economy, world hunger, health care, or any other major issue worries you to death, then the best thing you can do is help as many people as you can to journey the rest of their lives with Christ.
But how do we do this in a world that doesn’t seem to care too much about our faith?
Perhaps Peter said it best: “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
Paul modeled it with excellence (see Acts 17:16-34). He changed his name to reach a greater number of people, knowing the “Saul” was a foreign name to the people he was called to reach. He placed himself in the midst of the discussion of faith. When he spoke to those who did not see things the way he did, or agree with his position, he spoke with incredible respect, even commending them for certain aspects of their belief. Note: he didn’t make them feel like idiots. He was gentle and respectful. He knew he was an ambassador of Christ, and not just speaking for himself. The result? People who otherwise would have ignored the Gospel chose to follow Jesus.
Does your method of sharing the Gospel reflect Paul’s?
Would anybody want to know more about Jesus because of how you live your life?... How you talk about Jesus and His church?... Your level of joy?
Even if you begin with purely selfish motives, choose to love someone this week with gentleness and respect. See what it does for you. For them. For the Kingdom. For your relationship with the King.
You just might discover that the best way to save/heal/restore your life is to lose it for Christ’s sake by following fully the Way of Christ.
A Pretty Good Prayer…
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Questions to Tick You Off…
1. Beyond your verbal confession, why would anybody believe you are a Jesus follower?
2. What attitudes and behaviors are present in your life that would cause people to doubt your Christianity? Seriously – make a list (check it twice). Use multiple pages if necessary. What junk in your life can other people identify (or already have identified) that is incongruent with following Christ?
3. What will it take for you to take your junk to the dump?
4. What would you like the world to be like? God’s dream is even bigger and better.
5. How will you trust Jesus’ words this week – that in loving God, obeying God, you will experience an abundance of life that you cannot otherwise? What’s your next step?
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