choose love instead of hate

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Opportunities to spew hate are rampant. You see acts of violence and people doing all kinds of horrible things. It seems most, if not all, are based in pure and ugly hate.

That is why Christians have to do things differently. We must choose love over hate. We must pour on the love of God and not vengeance from a troubled heart. Love has all kinds of facets and characteristics, but love is always the upper road and leaves people better than you found them.

Are you responding to the people we encounter based on our pain or our past? I pray that is not the case. It is right to choose the side of love, of making people better and stronger and pointing each and every person to God,

Romans 13:8-10 NLT

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These —and other such commandments —are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Our obligation is to love the people we come in contact with. Our responsibility is to show people the love of God. But best yet, our opportunity is to love people the way God loves us.

Many other verses give us the facts about love. Love crosses boundaries. Love crosses out wrongs. Love heals old wounds. Love changes our direction. Love opens our eyes and the eyes of others. Love conquers fears and even ends battles.

Colossians 3:14 NASB

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

We need the kind of love in our lives that brings unity. That is why love fulfills God’s law. This love makes the giver and the receiver better.

My prayer is that we will choose love over hate all the time. There is no room for hate. There is no time to miss pointing people in any direction other than toward God. May our lives be marked by loving people the way God loves you and I.

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Search This Blog