Love and Respect, Unity and Peace

However you wish to be treated by others is how you should treat everyone else. Luke 6:31 (The Passion Translation, TPT)

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 (New Living Translation, NLT)

Love and respect for our fellow human beings is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. We are not to treat them the way they treat us, but we are to take the higher route and treat them the way we wish to be treated- regardless of their treatment of us. This may seem to be weak, but it actually demonstrates courage, strength and discipline. The weak are those who are ruled by emotion and not by the Spirit of God.

Reaching out to those around us in the spirit of love will eventually wear down their resistance to the gospel. When we consider their eternal destination above our own desire to be proven right, they will be drawn to the Lord.

Let me balance this, however, with the right to defend ourselves and to stand for righteousness. We cannot stand idly by and allow others to run over the liberties God has given us as Americans or bully us in order to promote wickedness. We must stand for godliness. Let us temper patriotism with love and respect. And let us desire unity and peace.

These are the areas of focus for us in this hour: love and respect, unity and peace. If we direct our energies towards these principles, all will be well.