9 May, 2008

That love thing again

Today the Daily Bide wraps up five days of focus on being like Jesus in our personal relationships. There is NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING more important. Check out what the Bible says today.

...Jack Crabtree

When # 2 Is # 1

Jesus said the whole law and commandments of God can be summed up in two great commands: 1) Love God with all your heart, mind and strength, and 2) Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Which is more important?

I have seen a lot of crazy things happen. I saw a pastor get in an argument with the organist during the church service. They were mean and sarcastic to each other as the whole church congregation watched. It was tense. I was the guest speaker that morning. My topic was 10 words Jesus wants us to say more often to others. Can you guess them?

T_ _ _k Y_ _

I W_ _ W_ _ _ _

L _ t’s T _ _ k

I _ _ _ _ _ _ _

When I finished explaining how these simple statements are what God wants us to say to him and how he wants us to say them often to the people in our lives, I challenged them to use these words today. I got a big surprise. The organist was the pastor’s wife. The pastor was gutsy. In front of the congregation he said to the organist (his wife): “I was wrong. Let’s talk. I love you----and thank you for playing the organ every week and putting up with me.”

We can know a lot about God and miss what is most important. One of my friends likes to remind me “It doesn’t matter how many times you go through the Bible; what matters is how many time the Bible goes through you.”

Jesus makes your priorities very clear.

picture courtesy images.google.com

Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)

23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

What does today’s God’s Story Scripture teach us about loving God and loving others?

Jesus says you can’t truly worship God if there are unresolved conflicts in your relationships with others. That doesn’t mean that everything has to be perfect and totally peaceful. You don’t control what people think or do, but as much as it is possible for you, make every effort to be at peace with people in your life. Admit your mistakes and ask for their forgiveness. Let them know you want to understand them and encourage them as a friend, not attack them or ignore them as an enemy.

Jesus warns us not to put on a church face and pretend we love God and follow God when we have unsettled business with people in our life. This applies to parents and siblings as well as our school friends. Our ability to worship God is stifled and our prayers are hindered by unconfessed wrongs in our life.

Jesus says our love for God is best measured by looking at how we love others. When conflicts arise we must make every effort to bring about a reconciliation. The # 2 commandment is key to us genuinely being able to follow commandment # 1.

How can we connect my story to God’s Story Scripture?

  • Read I Corinthians 13 and write down specific descriptions of what real love does for others.
  • Examine your relationships and see if there are wrongs that need to be confessed--Do it this week.
  • Do everything you can to make peace with people you fight against most often.
  • Worship God with a clean heart this week knowing you did your best to set things right with the people in your life.
  • Don’t get discouraged and give up. You will spend your whole life learning how to really love others.

How can we connect today’s story and God’s Story and our story to their story?

  • Let your friends see God working in you this coming month.
  • Show them how free and fearless you are to admit mistakes because you know God’s forgiveness and total acceptance.
  • Be so honest about how much you need Jesus helping you every day---that it is refreshing to hang out with you.
  • Be a servant to others. Do it with humility.
  • Love people---don’t use them or judge them.
  • Explain God’s remarkable grace to your friends using your life as the lab experiment.
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God's Story is brought to you by Youth for Christ. YFC works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been with YFC for over 30 years and has served as Campus Life Staff, in leadership for DCLA, and as an author and speaker. Byron is available for speaking at youth or adult events and conferences. For booking, write to byron@3Story.org.

Byron and his wife Linda live in Minnesota and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, a grandaughter, and a daughter in college. He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.