1 John 5:1-8
If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him. But who could possibly fight and win this battle except by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God? And we know he is, because God said so with a voice from heaven when Jesus was baptized, and again as he was facing death[—yes, not only at his baptism but also as he faced death. And the Holy Spirit, forever truthful, says it too. So we have these three witnesses: the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the voice from heaven at Christ’s baptism, and the voice before he died. And they all say the same thing: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 1 John 5:1-8 (TLB)
I love all the ways there are to serve at Southwood – within the church, in the community, globally – and I love serving with people. There is a special bond created when you do good work together. Sometimes though, even with the best intentions, we fall short. We all do. Sometimes we disagree with the how or why. Sometimes we disagree with the who. Sometimes we’re just too tired to show up and someone else has to carry our part of the load.
What does scripture say? - You can find out how much you love God’s children – your brothers and sisters in the Lord – by how much you love and obey God. (1 John 5:2)
Love of God comes first. Love that is maybe just a little more than we can understand. Love that is built through prayer and worship. Love that’s been shown to us through the life and death of Jesus. Love that the Holy Spirit speaks into our hearts.
When we grow in our relationship with God we are changed. Not overnight, but a little bit every day as we try – and fail – and try again to love God and live out that love. God is always present. God always loves us. God always wants our love and for us to love each other. That’s God’s plan for the world. That’s what the 10 commandments are about and what Jesus tells us in the greatest commandment:
“The most important commandment,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31
At Southwood we say . . . Growing in our love for God and others.
When each of us, one person at a time, one day at time, seek to grow in our love for God, we are taking the first steps to heal the world.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you think loving God could solve the problems of the world?
- Can you imagine what that might look like?
- How do you see yourself playing a part?
Prayer
All loving God, It sounds so simple to love you and love others, until I try to live it out. I do love you. I do believe that your love can change the world. It’s when I try to imagine how I can play a part that I stumble. I am not always as strong as I would like to be – either emotionally or physically. It is love for you, God, and then others that motivates me. Bring us together to love and support each other so that we can live out your love and end the suffering and violence both near and far. Amen.
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