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Week
No. 2 in Advent 2005
He first loved us
Loving One Another,
was the subject of my first sharing sent to you
last week. In this week’s sharing, this subject of loving one another is
seen from another angle as we read as follows.
“We love because
He first loved us. If any one says, “I love God,” yet
hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who
does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has
not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God
must also love his brother. (I Jn.4:19-21 NIV)
We
cannot choose our parents or our siblings. They are given to us, and we must
live and relate with them as they are, just as we are given to them. We are
bound together with experiences both pleasant and unpleasant as we live
together. We are also bound with God for he has created us and put in our
conscience the awareness of His presence. We possess the capacity to love or
hate, we have the ability to choose what we want to follow. How we relate to
God, our siblings and our neighbors forms to a great deal our attitudes to
others and brings into play a great degree of emotions, positive and negative.
What does Jesus recognize as the greatest commandment?
One of them ( a Pharisee) an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this
question: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the Law.
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:37 –
40 NIV)
The past is behind
us, we can not change it. What has happened, has happened, the future is ahead
of us. It matters how we live in the time now before us. Relationships may
have been affected, some have grown dependable and enriching, some have soured
and have broken. How we handle them depends on our relationship with God and an
awareness of what He has done.
When we reflect on God’s Word, we repent of our sins and failings, seek
forgiveness from God for the sins and wrongs we have done as well as from those
we have wronged. When we count the blessings and the grace God has showered upon
us we cannot but love God and be prepared to pray
“Father forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us” and resolve to
forgive, to love and be kind to all. This not easy, and God enables us to do
this in the strength He provides.
As we reflect on this, may the Holy Spirit guide us and transform us and enable
us to see ourselves as God see us.
This is sent out by email on Mondays. If you have just come across this for
the first time, and would like to receive it, please send email. to
mailto:fvamw@tm.net.my?subject=Reflections
Yours in His Service
Fred |