Love God, Love One Another

The worship team went for their annual retreat last weekend. For obvious reason I am not able to join them although I would dearly loved to go.

A sister was kind enough to summarise the message that was given during the retreat. I’ve replicated it here with some minor editing:

“As you may be aware the retreat theme was "Love God, Love One Another". Very briefly, worship pastor spoke to us from John 15, Jesus' final words to His disciples before he went to the cross. He broke up the text into 3 parts:

1.      Our Relationship with God

2.      Our Relationship with One Another and

3.      Our Relationship with the rest of the world.

A)    Reminding us to remain in God and firmly grounded in His Word, then to obey His word, honouring Him, loving Him, loving and serving others; in this way we worship him with our lives in everything we do.

B)    Recognising our own role, the roles played by other members and supporting them. Recognising the devil's lies. Explaining why we need to love to be fruitful and effective. To be determined and fierce in wanting to love others; not a warm, fuzzy type of love. The stability of the ministry is based on LOVE.”

This sister added that:

“I dun think it’s anything you haven't heard of but for me it was a good reminder to all of us to be wary of the traps that the devil lays down to trip us and cause division.”

Although it is true that these aren't something that I have not heard of, she is also right that it is reminder to us all. As a recap, those who had followed my blog regularly will know that I stressed on relationship fairly often although it is mainly in the context of those around us. What I had not blogged extensively is the relationship with God although I had stressed on the sovereign nature of God.

Kind of make me feel bad that I had not dwell on the relationship with God as much as I should. It is something that I intend to change. For now, if you will indulge me as I expand on point A and B.

For Point A, I firmly believe that the only way we can manifest that ideal is through action. We can honour God by sitting at His feet but if that does not translate to action, how do we showcase that we honour God and how do we serve others.

James 2:18

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (NASB)

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (NASB)

As for Point B, there is no greater example than 1 Corinthians 13, The Excellence of Love. However, I would like to point out that Love in this case, as the worship pastor had said is “not a warm, fuzzy type of love”. The love in this case, is actionable; it is something that we must put into practice in its true essence and not just paying lip service. Even for myself I am reminded of what love is in verse 4 to 6 because I am guilty of not practicing everything written there or only practicing it in parts selectively.

1 Corinthians 13

¹ If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, ⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, ⁶ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. ¹³ But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NASB)

As summary, this is Christ’s own word:

Matthew 22:37-40

³⁷ And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (NASB)

Do I love Him? Yes

Do I show it all the time? No and guilty as charged. Need to change, need to love and need to show it.

In God I Trust that He will show me the way.