God with us - Week 36: 1 John 4:19
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I saw a mug recently with the perfect post-pandemic slogan!
“It’s too peopley outside.”
I have missed people during the many lockdowns we have endured, but I’ve also, at the same time, quite enjoyed not having to work people out. I find people tricky, and it’s fair to say that sometimes it’s “too peopley” outside for me!
People are the beautiful creations of an amazing God and can also be a bit of a pain in the backside (me included!) God created loud people, quiet people, opinionated people, shy people, “I’m crazy me” people, and enigmatic people (the worst nightmare for overthinking people-pleasers like me)! He created me to make people smile, but He also created me with zero capability in the small-talk department. When I watched my Dad effortlessly chatting to visitors at our church, I wondered why I never inherited the small-talk gene, but it’s not there. God created each of us in our unique way, “fearfully and wonderfully made,” with all our strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and capabilities. Then, just for fun, He put all those contrasting personalities and characters into the world, and Jesus said:
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Jesus didn’t say, “tolerate one other,” or “get on with one other,” he said, “love one another.”
Well, this is awkward!
There are some people I find difficult to love.
There are definitely some people who find me difficult to love.
Either way, the command remains the same, that we need to love one another.
Our Bible verse for this week gives us the impetus to do that, to love one another, even the “others” we struggle to love.
“Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.”
1 John 4:19 (TPT)
When you look at it that way, then loving others is almost a thank you gift for the love God first gave to us. It’s a natural outpouring of grace, forgiveness, understanding, and care for the people God created, only made possible through His presence with us. When we’re finding it difficult to love others, then we need to turn to the source of love, to the one who gave the ultimate demonstration of love. It’s always going to be “peopley” outside, and despite the unpredictable nature of that reality, God calls us to love one another.
I, and maybe you, need to remember that we don’t need to will myself to love others. We just need to focus on God’s love to help us love the people He created.
Hopefully, those who find me difficult to love will do the same.
Kay Moorby
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