What are you willing to shake off, to abandon as useless to you in your life?
– An athlete abandons pain. It’s part of the process of becoming better in their chosen sport.
– A pianist abandons leisure. It takes hours at the keyboard to develop musical perfection.
– A parent abandons privacy. It’s impossible to shut the door when you have a three-year-old who knows how to turn the knob.
What must a Christian abandon? What’s the biggie, the one that’s most visible to the world?
Let’s see what 1 John 4:11 has to say about Christ’s expectations of us:
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
So, what must we abandon if we wish love to rule our actions, to fill us up, to take over every part of who we are?
Here are some examples:
– If we’re aloof from the needy, we need to get in touch.
– Antagonistic? It’s time to chill out.
– Apathy won’t do either. Let’s get on Christ’s cheering squad.
– We can toss out disagreeable. We must get along.
– Disloyalty is also out. We must stand by our Christian family.
– Greedy … just don’t be that way. At any time. Ever.
– Heedless. We can’t stumble over people. They have feelings, too.
– Thoughtless … Just. Be. Nice.
– Inconsiderate, inattentive, neglectful … are you seeing a pattern? All of these are selfish behaviors.
Christ calls us to be selfless. Our Christian walk isn’t about us – me, mine, and ours – it’s about all of us. You. Them. Everyone.
When we abandon hate, love can fill every moment of our day. We will be admiring, benevolent, considerate, devoted, earnest, faithful, generous, loyal, passionate, thoughtful, and warm.
Let’s give it a try … starting today.
God calls us to a new life, one of love for our fellow man.
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