passion @ uwa: Day 7: Love Someone as Your Neighbour

Day 7: Love Someone as Your Neighbour

Posted in Labels: 40 days of love | at 10:24 AM

The sharing since the first day has been getting better and better. It's just so awesome to know that we are doing this together!!!

I must admit I am guilty of loving those who I am close with. So, as I am writing this, I am writing from a point of view that I am guilty of charge of not loving my neighbour as myself. Today I would like to give my two cents worth of thoughts of what I have gotten out of loving someone as your neighbour.

Let me start this sharing with an experience I had. I was taking the bus to city one day. As usual, I’d be listening to my iPod, as I enter the bus, ignoring the bus driver, walking and trying to spot a seat. To my surprise that day, as I got on the bus, I saw an asian guy praying for an angmo old lady. I was amazed. It is unusual for this to happen. We don’t normally see someone doing that and what more of ourselves doing it. What the guy did got me asking myself this question. What did I do in my everyday life to show that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Consistent love can be expressed one opportunity at one time

Physically, there is only one of us. And we can’t manage to show our love to everyone but we can simply share our love when an opportunity arises. I am a fast pace person. I rush through things at times. With God, rushing is definitely not in His vocabulary. I learn this over the years when I started to know God more. It’s the same with loving people. When the chance arises for you to love a person, grab it and make the most of it to build a relationship without rushing or keeping a time boundary. Jesus is the perfect example. He didn’t hasten through his ministry years but He makes the most of it everywhere He went.

Coming back to the asian guy who prayed for the angmo old lady I saw on the bus. That would have been a great opportunity to love someone through praying for them. I believe that that guy can be one of us when we learn to love someone as our neighbour. Stop giving excuses to say that you are exhausted from work or studies or if it is in the morning, “it’s too early”. You might never know the little things you do can lead a person to eternal life with God.

How to love, when we do not have it?

How are we able to give something that we don’t have? If we don’t have strength to love, how can we love? Remember God is our provider. He is our Jehovah Jireh. He is the source of everything. Everything comes from Him alone. Strength alone comes from Him.

I can do all this through Him who gives strength” (Philippians 4:13) NIV

Honestly, loving someone when you are tired is not great at all. Even I get angry and frustrated at my 'loveable' boyfriend when he teases me after a long day (Yes, even when I am not working, I get exhausted from going out).

Trust me; nobody can strengthen you but God. I learnt this the hard way. My verdict (tried and proven to be true): God is the only one you should have a conversation with when you feel like upset, disappointed or frustrated.

He is the one you can find to have your heart renewed, your soul rejuvenated, your mind restored and you strength replenished. Why? To talk or whine (for girls) is to express your heart out when you are burdened with secrets you know, gossips you wish you could tell someone, cares or worries for others or yourself. God said when you surrender to Him and come to Him with ALL your anxieties, He will give you rest. You will notice slowly, your grip from these worries start to fade away as you begin to take upon His yoke that is easy and light.

So, I have been convicted by God to grab the opportunity to LOVE someone today and to LOVE with the strength that He alone gives freely. What say you?

With His Love and mine,
Jacq