Hi,on today’s blog, I will be speaking about something that I have been struggling with within me and in my ministry. This topic has been in my mind to blog about for a long time but I just never felt that it was time yet and yesterday while I was watching a Christian blogger; God was speaking to my life.
John 13:35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35Ā By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another
In the book of John, Jesus left us this commandment to love one another as he has loved us. But if we ask ourselves this question, do we really love one another? I’m asking myself and wondering if I really love my brethren, family, and friends or it’s just a fleeting feeling of attachment. To love like Jesus loves we need to show compassion, mercy, kindness, trust but most of all have a deep love for God. Ā However, Christians or believers(myself included) we have a bad habit of thinking that exhorting or saying what we think is right that’s how you show love. Unfortunately, Ā we have a rep as critics and hypocrites; and that’s not because of God but because in our human thinking we impose our views and rules in each other.
Jesus never imposed rules upon us but he said,Ā āIf anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”Ā He gaveĀ us the option to follow him and he gave us salvation by his sacrifice; through this, he has saved millions upon millions of lives. Now let’s ask ourselves this question, how many lives have we brought to Jesus.? One thing is to exhort in love and another is to impose your views. To exhort in love, you have to show mercy, kindness but most of all love to the person you will be exhorting. The book of Matthews deals with the exhortation topic by saying this,
15. If your brother or sister sins,go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.16Ā But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that āevery matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.āĀ 17Ā If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector
I’m learning to keep quiet and pray before going to someone and exhort or give advice to. Why? well not everyone will be comfortable with the idea of someone else coming up to you and telling you what you are doing wrong. I know I’m the first one that will have a dumbstruck face and be thinking ” did she/he really said that to me” why? because as humans we have faults and sometimes one of those faults is pride. To speak with love I got to be filled with God’s love myself. If I’m going to exhort someone I got to show fruits myself first. The word says that by their fruits you should know them.
1 Thessalonians 5:14
We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
One thing is to be tactful in the way you exhort and another is covering someone’s sin, there is a difference. I have made changes in my life this year that have brought a different view from last year. However, I was not showing the fruits of God’s love on my friends or family member’s or ministry-wise. I thought I knew better, however, God confronted me because I was seeing a decrease in many areas instead of an increase in his presence. Maybe; many of the things that were wrong could have been changed if I had just opened up my eyes to what God wanted to show me. God is a God of love, and every word that comes of my mouth or yours represents him. Maybe it’s the time to let God guide instead of thinking we know best. I don’t know about you but I will try my best. Shalomšøšš
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