Christian Crier
1Thessalonians 3:12 “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.”
Recently I was reading from 1st Thessalonians and I came across this verse that really made me stop and think. It says, “may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.(1Th. 3:12).” Paul’s words almost seem like a prayer of commitment and dedication. Often times we read a passage of Scripture or sing a praise song where we declare or make commitments to God through our words. But I had to stop and ask myself, do I really live the thoughts behind this verse? Do I really seek to show an overflowing type of love for my neighbor?
These are tough questions indeed. Most of us would say that we strive to love our neighbor more every day. Even 2000 years ago the followers of Jesus understood this biblical principle. When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, which was the greatest commandment of the entire Law, Jesus stated that loving our neighbor is second only to loving the Lord God. Jesus gave us a summary statement of how to live the Christian life by boiling everything down to loving God and loving our neighbors.
Even though we know that we are to love, it is often difficult to follow through. Instead we want to love ourselves. Scripture tells us that our very own heart is deceitfully wicked and cannot be trusted. Living the Christian life is not easy but it sure is worth it. Showing love to people sure is rewarding and will often break down barriers and allow us to share the message of Jesus. My hope and prayer is that we all be willing to show this type of overflowing love not only to our friends from church but to neighbors and co-workers and everyone that God brings into our life.
Blessed by God’s mercy,
Pastor Daryl
Daryl Evans has been pastor at First Baptist of Fairbury since April 2008. He and his wife, Deanna have been married since June 1993. Daryl graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University in 2003, and received his MDIV from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2007. Daryl loves golf, biking, and especially being with his family. Daryl believes strongly in the importance of discipleship and small group ministry, which was evident in the life of Jesus during His earthly mission. Daryl is also a writer at the website What Christians Want To Know.
photo credit: Thomas Hawk via photopin cc
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