John 15:12
Jesus said to his disciples, "This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you."
This scripture is probably the toughest one in all of the bible. How much do you love your spouse? Most would say, "more than anything." Over time, that love morphs and there are some highs and lows, but most of us would (or should) do anything for our spouse. What about your children? Parents will do anything to make our kids happy, because we want them to have it better than us and because we love them more than we love ourselves. Many times we, or more often the grandparents, love them to the point of spoiling them. How about your friends? Most of us wouldn't trade our lives for our friends, although we might consider it in the right circumstance. How about coworkers? Mostly no. Neighbors? Nah. Crazy drivers on interstate? Nope. Drug dealer or child abuser in prison? No way. Yet Jesus does not ask us to consider loving one another. He commands it. He commands it twice within a couple of lines. Let me repeat, IT IS A COMMAND. "Yeah, but…" But nothing, you HAVE to love one another. Is it hard? You bet. Can you do it? Only with God's help. Pray today for patience for one another, for peace in the home, workplace and in our community. When you do something that is perceived as wrong by a loved one, coworker, or neighbor, suck it up and ask for forgiveness. Put yourself in their shoes and be Jesus for them.
