Love One Another

While my last post discussed the importance of love in obedience, this time I would like to talk about how our love sets us apart as disciples of Christ. In John 13:34-35, Christ teaches that men will know us as disciples of Christ through our treatment of other people. This brings up the question “what does my treatment of others say about my devotion to Christ?” 

This question is something that I think on often, especially with regards to my family relationships. Am I acting, as a parent, the way that Christ would act toward my children? Have I shown my parents proper respect for their authority? Have I been Christlike in my dealings with friends and strangers? We are given so many chances to show our discipleship each day!

Treating others in line with how Christ would treat them requires us to humble ourselves and to set aside our fallen prejudices. We cannot see others as children of God, with eternal potential, if we are too busy seeing them as a screw-up, a drama queen, a jerk or a tightwad. In order to love others as Christ does, we must see them as Christ does. Christ knows each of us. He knows our potential. He knows our struggles. He knows how hard we are fighting depression or how tough it is to not yell at children. He know that life is complicated and that sometimes we do things that we regret. 

He loves us anyway!

            He also knows that hearts can be changed, that thoughts can be overcome. He knows that addictions can be fought and conquered. He wants us to see that too. We need to stop seeing the flaws in others and see their lives the way Christ see them, with love, faith, and hope. As we do this, others will see His love through us. We will be His hands in the lives of others, acting for him in his physical absence. 

            Disciples of a cause are followers of that cause. They pursue and spread it. Christ is not here for us to physically follow but He has marked the path for us. He has left detailed directions of the way that He took and the way that we should go. With those kinds of directions, we will never be lost and will always know where we should be going. Stopping to see the divinity in others makes us see the divinity in Christ. As we do, others will see His divinity in us.