Love Everyone

“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” – 1 John 5:1

If we say we love God who we have not seen, we are compelled to love people who are created in His image which we do see. We all sin and it is not up to us to judge that person but we must judge a person’s actions. We have to compare a person’s actions (and ultimately our own as well) with God’s will and love.

Sometimes we are the bible that people read and the way we express ourselves and live our lives shapes a person’s view on Christianity and more importantly God. We need to live a Godly life to be an example to the world and those around us. Do your actions glorify God? Do they help others? Or does everything we do is for own benefit.

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

When I read the KJV version of the bible I was surprised to find the word Love translated as Charity in 1 Corinthians 13. It may look as incorrect at first but I think the word charity is a very good translation. Charity can be described as self sacrificing love. I believe the word love is overused these days as everyone seems to love everything (music, food, cars etc). What we are commanded to love is God and humans who are His image bearers, not wealth and material possessions. This chapter in particular of the Bible expresses beautifully the need for a love that is not just a feeling but a selfless action which can benefit someone in a multitude of ways and most importantly spiritually.

Remember that Jesus did not just get crucified for you and the people you like but even for those who you do not like and some you might even hate. Unlike humans, God does not discriminate his love but loves us all the same, no one person is more important to God than another. God hates sin but does not hate the sinner; we must aim to do the same. After all the purpose of life is to attain eternal life and glorify God by becoming who we were created to be, God’s pride. Let us try to live up to God’s standard.