CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG????

I am a hot-head. I often get into debates and heated arguments about my own set of beliefs. It is great that GOD created us all different, with our own personality fingerprint; none two alike. But with that along with our free will, we can act like total buffoons. I realized that sometimes I allow the way I think and believe supersede love. Let’s face it, we all have our passions.

But it occurred to me that my number one passion should be CHRIST. And in the cliché of “What Would Jesus Do” (WWJD); I must realize that I fall short on a daily basis of this concept. I can buy the t-shirt, and quote the quote but I am far from walking the walk. That is where forgiveness comes in.

Every single day, every single moment; we screw up. I get wrapped up in life, act accordingly and boy do I have a knack for messing things up. I stir the pot with my humanity and it brews up more trouble in a situation that could have been averted, had I paused and prayed.

GOD knows this. Isn’t it amazing that HE allows us be ourselves and still loves us. And we come to HIM on fallen knees to cry because “oh what a mess we made” (again) and he still wraps HIS arms around us and tells us he loves us anyway.

Love, it is said throughout the bible and portrayed differently than we may understand it. Here are a few examples:

"This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12

 

"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Galatians 5:14

 

"For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." 1 John 3:11

 

"This commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." 1 John 4:21

 

"Above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8

Nowhere does it say, love each other under these circumstances: (fill in the blank). JESUS showed this so many times in the bible but none so perfect as in John 13. Again in the famous “Love bears all things” verses shown in 1 Corinthians 13:7, we are shown how to love. Not once are we taught to hate each other. Can we disagree? OF course! Can we dislike the way someone lives their lives? Absolutely! Are we to hate? NO! NO! NO!

It is not an easy practice but none said the way of the LORD was easy. The door is narrow and those that travel through it are few. But those that are called and answer and live their lives in the SPIRIT will be blessed. Let me ask you this? IF you had your choice, would you want to live life loving and being loved?

I am sure the answer is yes…. So then practice loving. Not just the easy ones to love but the ones that get under your skin; a co-worker that is lazy, a boss that screams, a spouse that is less than devoted, a son that treats you poorly, a parent that asks too much, and the child that is defiant. I will tell you there is a little bit of us in all those we choose to hate. It is a choice…… choose love! Choose GOD!

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