Sunday Style Over 50 - What Is Most Important?

With all the things going on right now, I felt that I needed to recenter and refocus on what the Word of God says is most important.

Mark 12:28-31
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.  Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, The Lord is one.  Love The Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."


When we love The Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are striving to be more like Him.

Now, the next part... Love your neighbor as yourself...

Let's be honest, we all love ourselves.  Some a little more than others.  Some might think only of themselves.

If we would love our neighbors like we love ourselves, what a different world this would look like.

Who is our neighbor?  From my perspective, it is everyone.  Every single person I come in contact with is my neighbor.  Every single person is a child of God, and I want to love them like I love myself even more than a sister or brother.

The story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37, is a perfect example of who our neighbor is.  Samaritans and Jewish people were enemies at that time, but a Samaritan man stopped to help a Jewish man, that had been beaten and robbed.  The Good Samaritan even paid to have someone take care of him.  He was showing love to an enemy.... he was loving his neighbor.

So, now that we know what we are suppose to do... love.  And we know who we are supposed to love... our neighbors.  What does love really look like?  Because I think we've lost sight of it.  This world has pushed and encouraged us to 'have it your way', that you are entitled to certain things, that it is all about you.  This thinking gets us so focused on loving ourselves that true love is completely distorted.

This is what the Bible says is love...

I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  it does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

That is a verse I struggle to live up to.  Seriously, I need to repent everyday, because I know I've been unloving in one of those ways.

But God's love is unconditional.  It's perfect!  No matter what we say or do,  He will always love us.  He loved us so much that He sacrificed His Son, Jesus, for us.

Lord help me to be patient and kind. I don't want to be jealous, boastful or prideful. When I want my own way, help me see Your way.  Lord, show me when I get irritable or hold grudges.  I only want to rejoice when truth wins!

I never want to give up or lose faith! I want to be hopeful and be strong and endure through every single thing You allow in my life.  Because You want me to grow and be more like You!

That is my prayer for myself, for my family, friends and this world.

I pray blessings over you,