Jesus was insistent that His followers love each other. That may sound pretty generic and general to you. Don’t other religions teach that we should love each other? The thing that makes The religion of Jesus unique is how we are to love each other. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12
I have never found it effective to command my children to love each other when they were mistreating each other, have you? Yet Christ’s commands are different from human commands. Received by faith, His commands actually become promises to be fulfilled by His power.
It is also the “as I have loved you” that makes this commandment unique. His love is unselfish! Human love usually has some self-interest associated with it--not so with the love of Jesus. In fact it is His own love in us that makes the fulfilling of His command possible. The fruit of His Spirit in us is “love” (the real thing, see Galatians 5:22.), When we receive and remain in Jesus that love is in our hearts, but if we act on those divine impulses placed there it grows and deepens. "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.” Luke 6:38 “Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it.” --Gospel Workers p. 312
“The heart that has once tasted the love of Christ, cries out continually for a deeper draft, and as you impart you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. [But the opposite is true too] As the social and generous impulses are repressed, they wither, and the heart becomes desolate and cold.... Love cannot long exist without expression.”--The Ministry of Healing p. 360.
In an effort to show Christ’s love in our church our elders are seeking to contact every member to make sure they are okay and if they need anything during this crisis--maybe just to talk to someone. I hope you have been contacted. Christ’s love in the heart urges us to find ways to care for others doesn’t it? I actually had a member call me and ask if they could have three names of people who might be lonely and appreciate a call. How about you? Would you be willing to make some care calls to church members that are not in your regular circle you already keep up with? Of course you can do that totally on your own, but why not contact the elder who has contacted you? I’m sure they’d be glad to share some of the names on their lists with you. This would help make sure that no one is missed!
