Monday, April 18, 2016
492 - Other Wise
Spirituality Column #492
April 19, 2016
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
“…Love your neighbor as yourself…” – Mark 12:31, Romans 13:9, Leviticus 19:18
These are the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, of Paul in his letter to the Romans, and of God to Moses regarding moral holiness in Leviticus. Gospels, Epistles, Old Testament. Jesus, Paul, God. Better pay attention; there is some authority here.
Notice the key word in this scripture verse is not “yourself.” The key word is “neighbor.”
From one end of the Bible to the other, from God to Jesus to the Holy Spirit, from the Law to the Prophets to the Apostles, scripture hammers home this message over and over and over … “It’s not about you.”
What it is about, always, is the Lord. God’s first commandment is to “Love the Lord.” His very next, equally important instruction is to love others. God wants us to love what He loves.
“Others” means family, neighbors, strangers, enemies, sinners, the rich, the powerful, the hungry, sick, poor, weak, whomever. Our journey in this life is about honoring the Lord and loving our fellow human beings whom God created in His own image. What life is decidedly not about is “Looking out for No. 1,” “Do your own thing,” “I Gotta Be Me,” or “I Did it My Way.”
These cultural catchphrases and classic song titles are instructive for evaluating modern scriptural bearings when it comes to our individual humility and Biblically ordained priorities. The path our culture pursues is paved with overwhelming contemporary philosophical focus on being who I want to be, not who God wants me to be. We live in a charitable age, no doubt. School children and community groups execute endless charity-driven funding and events. Yes, we are loving others, but are we just as actively loving God? Maybe we think we are, but does it honor God if we are afraid to say so?
Public school children and random community groups out of necessity must eschew God’s glory in their charitable activities, because society’s mythology says we must separate church and state. Everybody seems to think we still glorify God and fulfill a “good works” quota if we help others while ignoring God. Goodness, what if we do what the Bible actually instructs and love and honor God through visible, proclaiming, tangible, active faith in Jesus Christ as we love, serve and help others?
And say it out loud?
One thing I know today that I didn’t know 20 years ago is that the ultimate way to help “others” is to help them find love, trust and faith in Jesus Christ.
Then the other stuff comes naturally.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) spent most of his life as a non-believer; others helped him come around.
April 19, 2016
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
Other Wise
By Bob Walters“…Love your neighbor as yourself…” – Mark 12:31, Romans 13:9, Leviticus 19:18
These are the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, of Paul in his letter to the Romans, and of God to Moses regarding moral holiness in Leviticus. Gospels, Epistles, Old Testament. Jesus, Paul, God. Better pay attention; there is some authority here.
Notice the key word in this scripture verse is not “yourself.” The key word is “neighbor.”
From one end of the Bible to the other, from God to Jesus to the Holy Spirit, from the Law to the Prophets to the Apostles, scripture hammers home this message over and over and over … “It’s not about you.”
What it is about, always, is the Lord. God’s first commandment is to “Love the Lord.” His very next, equally important instruction is to love others. God wants us to love what He loves.
“Others” means family, neighbors, strangers, enemies, sinners, the rich, the powerful, the hungry, sick, poor, weak, whomever. Our journey in this life is about honoring the Lord and loving our fellow human beings whom God created in His own image. What life is decidedly not about is “Looking out for No. 1,” “Do your own thing,” “I Gotta Be Me,” or “I Did it My Way.”
These cultural catchphrases and classic song titles are instructive for evaluating modern scriptural bearings when it comes to our individual humility and Biblically ordained priorities. The path our culture pursues is paved with overwhelming contemporary philosophical focus on being who I want to be, not who God wants me to be. We live in a charitable age, no doubt. School children and community groups execute endless charity-driven funding and events. Yes, we are loving others, but are we just as actively loving God? Maybe we think we are, but does it honor God if we are afraid to say so?
Public school children and random community groups out of necessity must eschew God’s glory in their charitable activities, because society’s mythology says we must separate church and state. Everybody seems to think we still glorify God and fulfill a “good works” quota if we help others while ignoring God. Goodness, what if we do what the Bible actually instructs and love and honor God through visible, proclaiming, tangible, active faith in Jesus Christ as we love, serve and help others?
And say it out loud?
One thing I know today that I didn’t know 20 years ago is that the ultimate way to help “others” is to help them find love, trust and faith in Jesus Christ.
Then the other stuff comes naturally.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) spent most of his life as a non-believer; others helped him come around.
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