I'd like to start by saying that I don't believe in making New Years Resolutions. I believe that if something is important enough then you should do it straight away rather than delay and give yourself excuses for not doing it.
However, I'd like to issue a challenge to everyone for 2011. Let's make 2011 the year of Love.
Love is very important in the Bible. The Bible actually goes very far in declaring its importance:-
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.This is a feeling I have, and feel free to disagree or agree in the comments section, that Britain is neglecting loving each other so much these days. I even feel it is missing in the Church as a whole to an extent.
The greatest commandments in the Bible concern love:-
Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
After saying this Jesus was asked who the neighbor was and Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. I love this parable because the Israelites & Samaritans were enemies. Yet when the Israelites was hurt, the Samaritan was the only who would help him. Love in Great Britain is so selfish. People help others for their own gain, or just help those who love them and they might not help them at all (in the parable, people just walked past the Samaritan).
Let's be unselfish with our love this year. Let's help and bless the people who have hurt us, who don't care about us. If we need an example to look too let's look at Jesus. We hurt God so much with our sin, yet He gave His life so we could live.
Let's be liberal with the love in 2011!
An excellent post Mike, what a difference it would make to the world if people learned to love more, especially thier enemies. :) a great thought! Sarah Thompson.
ReplyDeleteI've got Joyce Meyer's 'The Love Revolution' on my bookshelf which I haven't got around to reading yet but you know, I think it's a very similar concept.
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