Love one another

 

Tonight, there are a few things on my mind. We live in a world where chaos looms around almost every corner. There are greedy people doing selfish things for a cause that they feel is right. Tonight, it being Sunday, my post focuses on my thoughts towards the Christian community. It’s addressed to those who profess to be followers of Christ. I know that not everyone who reads my blog believes in Christ. That is your prerogative. I do though, so I only ask for the respect that I would offer towards you and your beliefs while you read my post.

A Christian, by definition, is someone that is either baptized in a Christian faith, or someone who believes and follows the teachings of Christ. I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that He lives. He sacrificed His life to save ours. I know that it is through the redemptive power of Christ that we can receive eternal life. It is through His redeeming love that we can be with our Father in Heaven again. Christ is the center of the religion that I follow. He is the figure head and His teachings are paramount to our gospel. Jesus Christ lives, and as a Christian, I have the responsibility to share with the world His message of love and peace. I try my hardest to live a Christ-centered life. I fall short at times, which makes me grateful for the forgiving power of repentance. Repentance is the process in which we realign our lives with Christ’s teachings, after something happens that causes us to drift. When we make a mistake we strive to receive forgiveness from those we have wronged, and ask for the forgiveness of our Father in Heaven. We then strive to move on from the mistake and not make it again. But, if we do fall short once more, repentance is there to help usher us up to forgiveness again. It is through repentance that I have been forgiven for the things that I have done wrong and have felt the love of God.

There are Christian people all over the world who are striving with all of their hearts to live the teachings of Christ. They yearn for every person to feel the love that they have felt. They express this love through their service and sacrifice. They help lift up the heavy burdens of others. They allow the spirit to testify the love of God through their efforts. They are examples to both the believers and those who struggle to believe. They sow a good seed and give the fruit to their neighbors. They give the shirts off of their backs and food off of their table. They give to the poor and the needy. They are a shoulder to cry on. They are the model for all of us to follow. They understand that Christ did not come here to rule over us. He came to teach us to sacrifice, to serve, and most importantly to love. There are those who understand this and work with all of the energy of their hearts to make sure people know of this love.

There are those however, who pick and choose which of Christ’s teachings that they want to follow. They warp the words of The Lord to fit their position. They seek power and gain where they should be seeking humility and love. They teach that Christ loved some but not all. They teach that if someone isn’t following the Christian path then they aren’t worth saving. When they do choose to save, they do so in such an abrupt and alarming matter that people are stunned. They use hateful language that hurts and discourages, but they think when they insert the name of Jesus, it justifies their means. They preach one thing and then do another. They spout off love and then turn around and hate. They encourage people to shun and disassociate with those who have beliefs contrary to their own. When they teach from the bible, they twist it to fit their own situation.

There are many people out in the world who are trying their hardest to do a good thing. They are trying to love as He loved us. They sacrifice their time and talents in building His kingdom here on the Earth. This however, is tainted by the individuals who seek the riches of this world. They fancy themselves in doing what others want them to do, instead of what they know is right. They preach of God’s justice and never his mercy. They spew love from their lips but only for those who follow their cause. Christ loved everyone. He didn’t just stay with His followers, walking amongst those who believed on His word. He sacrificed His is life because he preached to those who did not want to listen. He loved everyone because He saw the good, the potential, in all.   

It is my sincerest wish that those who profess to be followers of Christ will follow Him in every way. He taught us to love. He loved everyone regardless of who they were and what sort of status that they carried. He did not think one person was above another. He simply brought a message of peace. He asks us to love as He loves. His love is without judgement. It has no end. It doesn’t require us to be a certain way or do a certain thing. His love is a perfect love, and through this perfection, He helped those who didn’t even like him. He helped all and wanted nothing in return. He still helps today, even if we don’t want it.

-Jer