Called to Serve in Love, John W. Errington [to read list txt] 📗

CALLED TO SERVE THROUGH LOVE


Paul tells us this in Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; 21 only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, 22 but through love serve one another

Through Love serve each other. A powerful statement if ever I have heard one. If Love is our highest goal then to serve each other is our highest calling! Service to others requires that we have our minds set on the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh. Yes our sins have been forgiven and forgotten through the Grace of Love however this does not mean that we should create new sin (works of the flesh) even though Love and grace cover sin.

Rom 6:1-11

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 6:2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 6:3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life. 1
6:5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. 2 6:6 We know that 3 our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, 4 so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 6:7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) 5
6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 6:9 We know 6 that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die 7 again; death no longer has mastery over him. 6:10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 6:11 So you too consider yourselves 8 dead to sin, but 9 alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We died to sin, it no longer has control or mastery over us. We are now made alive in Love (Christ) and are indeed enslaved to Love. This is why we are told to walk in Love. that 17 we love one another. 1:6 (Now this is love: that we walk 18 according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus 19 you should walk in it. 20 2 John 1

Now that we are dead to sin and are alive in and walk in Love there is absolutely no reason NOT to serve each other. Because we can do all things through God- our Source, serving will be as easy as breathing and should be just as natural.

Consider what Peter says here 2 Peter 4 7-11

So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer. 21 4:8 Above all keep 22 your love for one another fervent, 23 because love covers a multitude of sins. 24 4:9 Show hospitality 25 to one another without complaining. 4:10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another 26 as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 4:11 Whoever speaks, let it be with 27 God’s words. 28 Whoever serves, do so with the strength 29 that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong 30 the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Our Source supplies us with the strength to serve, that Source is Love, Just as John tells us here in 1 john 4:11 Dear friends, if God so loved us, then 28 we also ought to love one another. 29 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. 30 If we love one another, God resides 31 in us, and his love is perfected in us. 32 4:13 By this 33 we know that we reside in God 34 and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit.
Folks it truly is all about Love, abiding in Love allowing that Love to be in us and walking in that Love, BEING Love.


Consider Romans 12

12:9 Love must be 9 without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.

12:10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

12:11 Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. 12:12 Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.

12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.

12:14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.

12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

12:16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. 10 Do not be conceited. 11

12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.

12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.

12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

12:20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.

12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We are to eagerly devote ourselves to one another, with zeal and enthusiasm honor one other! Cry and laugh with one another, live in harmony with one another! Paul even goes so far as to tell us to pray for those that persecute us and to attend to the needs of our enemies!

Beloved, we are the salt and the light of this world, Love has provided a free gift to ALL people and as Ambassadors of Love it our duty is to love each other thereby showing them we are Disciples of Love!
After all Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”




LOVE CAN BE A CHALLENGE

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Sometime those that we love and hold dear can challenge us, sometime those that we love most, will make us the angriest. This is why we must constantly work to replace thought of anger and hate with thoughts of love and peace.

I'll admit this is a challenge for me! While I do not consider anyone in my life an enemy there is those that bring out the worst in me. And quite frankly there are no warm fuzzy feelings associated with them.

But I suppose that is the point of the Golden Rule that despite a lack of the warm fuzzes we should treat others as we want to be treated. This implies to me that love is not just a feeling but an action.

This is why we should meditate or think on this on a daily basis, for as a man thinks so is he.

Proverbs 23:7 (New King James Version)

FOR AS HE THINKS IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE.

Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

So if I am thinking hateful, vengeful thoughts, its going to be really hard to love my enemy, my neighbor, my family or my slef. However if I am thinking loving, kind thoughts (towards myself, my family, etc...) then it will be much easier for me to love those in my life.

Again, I feel that it is very important that this become a daily thought process - one that must be continually be driven home.


Blank Looks

Lately I have been watching some reruns of a favorite series of mine for the 90's. In a few of the episodes the world was supposedly full of love and peace.

Everyone was walking around with these dopey grins and blank looks on their faces, bending over backwards to be nice and at peace with all other people.

Today a particularly sullen and negative person was suddenly transformed into a peppy, upbeat and positive person who saw the "silver lining" in everything.

By the end he had gotten on everyone's nerves, thankfully He was back to "normal" at the end of the episode.

Love Isn't Sappy

Yeah, this was TV and as such things were over the top, you know dramatic and all that jazz. However I can't help but wonder if that is how some of us perceive Love or the Divine.

In this writer's opinion, Love isn't that sappy, at least not all the time. Folks that truly believe in Divine Love and in following the path of Divine Love aren't all like that. Me? Well I am a "normal" guy. I don't walk around with a dopey grin and blank look on my face nor do I point out the silver lining in all situations.

At First Sight?

Love isn't instant, it is a growth process. Sure it would be nice if we could all suddenly be transformed into Loving caring individuals at the sight of those in need or those that crave love and attention.

However, that isn't the way of things. Love is a maturation process that takes desire, time and energy to achieve. We must always press toward the mark and fight the good fight, ya know, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Beloved, we don't have to adopt a sappy grin or blank look to walk in Love. We don't have to see the silver lining in every cloud all the time.

We can walk in Love; we can enjoy life in a positive and optimistic way, without being over the top. Just be yourself.


I know that to some this is a radical concept, to place the focus on Love and walking in love rather than admonishing ourselves for failing and making mistakes and in the midst of that it can be easy to fault others and place blame.

However we have been given a new commandment: Love one another. As HE has have loved you, so you must love one another.

The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is