Which commandment is the most important of all? Jesus answered … You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12: 28-31
Loving God with everything you have is on the one hand that 180 degree turn towards Him that means your life has been forever changed. And, on the other hand, we learn that it is a journey and an experience that takes us forward one step at a time. And we can see the results! Our hearts give ourselves grace as we know His grace towards us and our hearts become so much more full of grace towards others.
So, I realized that there was no waiting until I got to some future point of maturity before I started walking with Jesus towards the hungry, the bound and the brokenhearted. My own brokenness journey consisted of a new marriage, my husband’s cancer diagnosis and death and retirement from my day job earlier than I expected. But it all became part of the same journey of loving myself and turning to love my neighbor with everything that He had already given me.
What might God’s harvest of love look like?
Love others as Jesus has loved you (John 15:12).
Treat people the way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
Consider others as more important than yourself (Philippians 2:3).
Open your heart to the needs of others (1 John 3:17).
Be a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Which one of these concepts is most challenging for you?
Examine your heart. Do you feel loved by God? Reading the Psalms is a great place to start. The psalmists so often praise God’s lovingkindness towards us! Believe that He loves you and you will strengthen your confidence to love others as a much-loved child of God yourself.
Relationships are complicated. Maybe there is something or someone you need to forgive. Often, we may feel reluctant to move forward in love when our heart is closed to someone else. Agree with God that whatever is wrong is wrong, accept His joyous hug and ask for greater love and generosity of spirit. Ask for sensitivity to do it or respond to it differently next time.
Generosity with your time, an open attitude and a hungry heart filled with His love will position you to show off God’s harvest of love to the physically and spiritually hungry men, women and children who are out there in your world and need you.
Dear Lord, You have been so generous with me! All I have is Yours and I thank You for my heart’s transformation because of Your love. Help me to love others as You have loved me. Amen.
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