Good Morning All,
1
Peter 4:8; “Above all, love each other warmly,
because love covers many sins.”
To say
that the forecast for our part of paradise is a little chilly is the
understatement of understatements. The
weather people are calling for record lows of -35 degrees. It can warm up by 65 degrees and the ice is
still frozen. In conditions like this,
outside activities can be very dangerous.
Frostbite and hypothermia can occur within a few minutes. Car trouble can be life threatening. Many events, schools, businesses and even government
events are cancelled. It is a good time
to stay home and stay warm.
Physical cold can, for
the most part, be dealt with. A warm
furnace, a couple of blankets, some hot tea or hot cocoa, warm slippers and you
are set. Some even long for this type of
weather; it gives them an excuse to slow down and enjoy a good book or
conversation with good friends. Yet in
our text, Peter isn’t talking about cold weather outside. He is talking about cold weather on the
inside; a cold and uncaring heart. The
type of heart that sinful man carries with him in his life’s existence. Peter wants us to love and to love warmly
with a genuine desire for each other.
Scriptural love should
not be thought of as the modern version of a sappy romantic love. It is not the kind of love that is
self-seeking. It is not the kind of love
that demands things in return for its existence. “I will love you as long as you stay
good-looking.” This is not love; this is
selfish, self-seeking lust. Lust is the
desire to please yourself. Love, true
love like Peter, Paul, Jesus and all of Scriptures talks about is entirely
different.
True Christian love is
marked by the unselfish service to Jesus and His Word. It is the Spirit led desire to do things for
the benefit of others. It is the desire
to help someone else. It is the compassionate
response to someone else’s pain and the desire to help comfort them and to
relieve them of their suffering. Jesus
is the perfect example of perfect love.
He willingly died for you and for me but he also died for those who
stood and stand to jeer and mock him. He
died for them because he loves them. He
desires that, by his unselfish act, others would know eternal life. He died to give us hope and to give us new
life.
Part of this new life is
to turn from our selfish sinfulness to His marvelous love and light. Part of it, is to love, truly love, rather
than simply lust. Love desires that the
other guy is successful. Love desires
that the other kid gets a good grade.
Love desires that others pain is subdued and that true justice
occurs. True love looks upon others with
a warm heart desiring peace and tranquility to abound.
Father
of all mercies, give to us a loving heart.
Open our eyes to the pain of the world and embolden us to make a
difference. Comfort those who do not
know of your warming love. Guide us to
them that we may share with them the truth of your love. Be with those who are lost and alone in this
cold world. Use us to spark hope. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.