Read
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.                                                                           Verse 1 (NIV)

Reflect
On Remembrance Day we think of and give thanks for those who sacrificed everything for the love of family, friends, and country. God bless those veterans who served and are still living and Thank You!

Love is also what should motivate us to live and function as one and be true followers of Jesus. Some people give honour to the church because it is old and holds a place of tradition in society. Some people prefer to do many other activities on a Sunday morning rather than attend church; meet with friends for a coffee, wilderness walks, or extended sleep time. I suppose the real reason people avoid church is because it does not meet a need in their life.

Imagine for a moment if your church was filled with people who genuinely loved, cared for and supported one another. Do you think that would be a place that would draw others into its way of life? I remember my first few experiences in the local Tanzanian church and thinking to myself, “These people really care for one another.” Once we lived there for a short time, we learned that the local church there was no different than the one we left in Canada. People are fallen creatures; they are imperfect and not capable of loving the way that Jesus loved people. So how do we become a loving, caring, supportive church?

If we allow the spirit of God to guide and direct us, there is a good chance we could do an admirable job of loving one another. If we could find a way to not be self-centred but rather care for others more than ourselves, if we could be willing to serve in humility, to follow the lead of God-fearing leadership and serve others as we would serve Jesus, there would be a good chance we could do a good job. Let’s stop trying to be perfect and let’s try to serve and love as redeemed sinners and I believe as we do so, we would be much more attractive to our community.

Loving Jesus, loving others, especially those different than we are, and loving our community is very hard work. It is the work that Jesus has called us to do for the glory of His Kingdom.

Pray
Forgive, O Lord, the church, our church for all its many quirks and failures. Give us grace to see it as you do. Help us to love, care, and support our brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

Our Greatest Need

You May Also Like